Girl Genius' Animagus
by Quatermass
Summary: (Based on whitetigerwolf's 'Animagus Lover' challenge! Bashing!) Agatha Clay found an injured owl one day, and nursed him back to health. Two years later, on the day her story truly began, he revealed himself to be a wizard from another world...and he has vowed to protect her. But between Sparks, politics, dictators, and assassins from another world, will they survive?
1. Foreword

**FOREWORD**

One of my favourite webcomics of all time is Phil and Kaja Foglio's steampunk series _Girl Genius_. Summed up by the authors as taking place in an alternate universe where 'mad scientists rule the world. _Badly_ ', it's a mixture of comedy, adventure, and romance around the adventures of Agatha Clay, who later learns that that she is actually Agatha Heterodyne, the last scion of a dynasty of Sparks or mad scientists. The series also has considerable moral ambiguity: one of the main antagonists, Baron Klaus von Wulfenbach, is actually more complex and even 'good' (for a given value) for a mad scientist who is also the dictator over much of Europe.

Anyway, I've been meaning to do a _Girl Genius_ fanfic for some time. Followers of my compilations of sample chapters and abandoned works will have seen my attempts at crossing over _Girl Genius_ with _Naruto_ and _My Hero Academia_. Those went nowhere, sadly, but this story seemed to have legs.

As with _Quoth the Raven_ …, a _Black Lagoon_ crossover, this story is derived from whitetigerwolf's 'Animagus Lover' challenge, where Harry ends up turning into an animal, is adopted by his later love interest, and then, in a moment of stress, changes back to normal. Here, Harry is an owl, adopted by Agatha. And sorry, Gil/Agatha fans, that's not happening. Don't despair, though, Gil will get a different pairing.

This story will go through the stations of canon, but after a certain point (partway through the Airship City arc), things will certainly deviate from _Girl Genius_ canon in substantial ways. In what ways? Well, wait and see.

Anyway, time for the usual disclaimers. Firstly, there will be spoilers for both Harry Potter and _Girl Genius_.

Secondly, there will be heavy annotations, as is usual for my works. You have been warned.

Thirdly, this is an M-Rated work. There will be coarse language, violence, dark themes, and sexual references. Again, you have been warned.

Finally, the following is a fan-written work. Harry Potter and _Girl Genius_ are the properties of their respective owners. Please support the official release. Otherwise, you'll get Wasped…and then _forced_ to support the official release…


	2. Chapter 1: Breaking Through Barriers

**CHAPTER 1:**

 **BREAKING THROUGH BARRIERS**

There were few bright spots in Agatha Clay's life. Even her senses seemed to be washed out, dulled, the world seeming to be monochrome, shades of grey with only the slightest dash of colour. She had few prospects, or at least she wouldn't have had, had it not been for Dr Beetle. She had to wonder why he favoured her, when she was a klutz, when she suffered massive headaches whenever she tried to build anything. Oh, and there was the kindness of Glassvitch, but given how Merlot treated her, well…Agatha felt worse than useless.

One of the few bright spots in her life, apart from Glassvitch's kindness and her adoptive parents Adam and Lilith, was a constant companion, or at least he had been since she had found him outside her adoptive parents' shop a couple of years ago. An owl, injured, tired, one she had nursed back to health, with dark feathers and brilliant emerald eyes, and a weird lightning-shaped patch of white feathers above one eye. The owl kind of hung around after that, and she called him Emerald, because of his eyes.

Her adoptive parents had been a little reluctant for her to look after the bird, but Emerald refused to go away, and soon, he became part of the family. Hell, sometimes he seemed so human. He certainly seemed smart enough to respond with a shake of the head or a nod, or even a winged shrug, to her questions. Maybe, she speculated (and it was speculation her adoptive parents shared, albeit with darker implications) that Emerald was some sort of Construct, trying to make a smarter owl.

He often went with her to Transylvanian Polygnostic University, perched on her shoulder, much to the amusement of Glassvitch, the bemusement of Beetle, and the ire of Merlot (though this wasn't just due to Merlot's general obstreperous nature, especially towards Agatha: Emerald had a habit of flying over Merlot and shitting on him when the belligerent non-Spark scientist gave her grief). And here he was this day when everything changed…though not necessarily for the better.

As she walked down the street, downcast, ready to begin her day, Agatha suddenly heard a commotion. People's hair began standing on end, and electricity arced from every bit of bare metal, including Agatha's glasses. She heard shouts from various people, before with a great crackle of noise…something appeared in their air in front of her.

It was as if a window had opened up in the air, revealing a strange, metallic figure, vaguely feminine, glowing eyes glaring out from beneath a helmet from which Gorgon-like cables mocking hair swayed. The entity pointed at Agatha, though whether in accusation or demonstration, she didn't know, and it snarled, in a distorted eldritch voice, "… ** _LIKE THAT?!_** "

With a squeak of fear, Agath fled down an alley, Emerald, startled into flight by the apparition, following. Agatha tripped over a box and tumbled to the ground, noting only briefly a poster on reporting any revenants immediately to Dr Beetle. And then, he heard a voice drawl, "Well, well, well, lookee here, Moloch. Looks like our very own angel of mercy has crash-landed before our very eyes. Obviously, she's looking for a fine pair of soldiers-of-fortune to send her on her merry way?"

There were two soldiers, dressed in rather filthy uniforms. The one who spoke had a wounded leg and a rather nasty leer, while the other had a full beard, and a more pleasant expression, though the bottle in his hand could have explained that. "Yeah, Omar, she must know that you just wasted our last coins on this cat's piss you call booze. Help her up, Omar, okay? Hey, miss, d'you have any change you can spare?"

"She can spare more than that if she's got a locket and a pet," Omar leered, only for Emerald to make a threatening growl, insomuch as an owl could do that. "Ooh, scary, a featherduster is trying to frighten me," he sneered.

"Leave it off, Omar," Moloch said. "It's got claws and a beak. Plus, owls are birds of prey."

"Sod that," Omar sneered, but as he advanced on Agatha, theft at the very least on his mind (and worse, Agatha feared), Emerald launched into the air and began scratching at his face, screeching. "FUCK!" Omar screamed, before grabbing the bird, and smashing him against a nearby wall.

The sickening snap Agatha heard had her snatch Moloch's bottle before smashing it against Omar's face. "Bastard," she hissed. She rarely swore, but to see Emerald attacked like that…

Omar suddenly grabbed her and slapped her, hard. Stars exploded behind her eyes as blood ran down his face. "That hurt, you bitch! I don't take that sort of shit from a bloody civilian or her fucking pet!"

Moloch was on his feet, and grabbing the man's shoulder. "Stop that, Omar! Don't you remember what they do to people in this town? They put them into those damned jars to die, and I for one don't wanna end my days in one of those things!"

Omar seemed to realise that, before he sneered, and stole Agatha's locket, the one her Uncle Barry gave her, in the shape of a trilobite. "Call that compensation for what you and your pet did to me, bitch," he said, before shoving her roughly to the ground. "You're so charitable, doll. Bye!"

He ran off laughing, while Moloch sarcastically muttered, while following him, "You're the salt of the earth, Omar…"

 _No, my locket!_ Agatha thought. "Stop, thief! You…you filth! I'll report this! Dr Beetle's Clanks will come for you, catch you, and put you into a jar in University Square to rot! And I'll come every day while you roast in the Sun and _starve and claw at the glass in futility and scream as you DIE SLOWLY LIKE_ _ **THE HORRIBLE RATS THAT YOU ARE!**_ "

The rant began to build into a crescendo, only for Agatha to feel a knife of ice stab through her head. She screamed in pain, and even as she panted in pain, she was unaware that something was changing…apart from inside her own head, anyway…

* * *

Oh, this brought him back. The jolt of pain through his left wing. It stirred memories that had been adrift in the fog for a while, memories he had allowed to be submerged. Because to remember that he was once human was to remember all the pain he had suffered.

It was a walrus who had broken that arm last. Well, a man who was very like a walrus. He had the moustache and the corpulence. What was his name again? Uncle Venial? Uncle Verruca? Uncle Venereal?

Ah, Vernon. Yes, that fat twat. Fucked a giraffe to have a pig. Or was that a song he once heard?

Gah. Focus, dammit. The owl known as Emerald used the pain to focus his mind. The two bastards had gone, but Agatha was still in pain. Reminded him a little of someone else for some reason, someone with bushy hair.

Another fog-shrouded memory came unbidden to mind. Of a dogfather fighting in a darkened chamber, fighting against a rabid bitch. A curse hit him, he staggered towards an archway…and Emerald needed to save him.

He charged forward, and stopped his dogfather from falling through the archway, only to be knocked through himself. He remembered falling through a void, but only remembered darkly. Even now, his life was mistbound.

But the memory spurred him to do something about this. In his desperation, Emerald reached deep within himself, found something he hadn't used for two years now, and _changed_ …

* * *

Agatha became aware, over the sound of her pained sobbing, that she could hear a noise. She turned to find Emerald on the ground, a wing limp…only, his body was twisting and distorting. Before her astonished eyes, he began to change…before there was no longer an owl in the alley with her…but a boy her age, clutching a broken arm.

He was somewhat short and lanky, even scrawny, dressed in tattered rags that had once been clothes. He had a messy, shoulder-length mop of black hair framing handsome, if haggard features. There seemed to be, oddly enough, black feathers stuck in his hair.

But the things that caught her eye the most were two things. The first was the lightning bolt-shaped scar, snaking out from beneath his fringe. The second, flashing behind scuffed glasses, were emerald-coloured eyes. So much like her own, she realised.

With a grimace, before he took his left arm, which seemed broken, and grasped it in his right hand. With a scream, green light suffused it, and then, he released it. "Oh, that was fucking painful." He looked over at Agatha. "Are you okay, Agatha?" he asked, his voice hoarse and raspy with misuse.

Agatha opened her mouth to reply, only for the chimes of a bell to echo from afar. "Oh no, it's seven!" she hissed in horror. "I'm late!"

The boy gently took her hand. "I'll get you there. Hopefully, I can do this without splinching."

"Wait, what?" was all Agatha could say, before she suddenly found out what it was like to be toothpaste squeezed from a tube…

* * *

…And appearing in the laboratory she had been assigned to with a loud, gunshot-like crack! Leaping into the air was the dark-skinned Doctor Glassvitch, who whirled to face Agatha. "Agatha? And…who is this?" he asked with his French accent.

"Umm, this used to be Emerald, Doctor Glassvitch," Agatha said, in a lost voice. "I'm not…too late, am I?"

"Mere seconds. Agatha, have you been crying? What's wrong?"

It was as if a dam burst, and Agatha threw herself at Glassvitch, crying into his chest. "My locket! They stole my locket, Doctor Glassvitch! It had the only pictures I have of my parents, it belonged to my mother, and now it's GONE!" She subsided, no less miserable, but less hysterical. "…Uncle Barry gave it to me before he left, and he made me promise never to remove it. And now it's gone, he'll be disappointed in me, and now he'll never come back because I'm stupid, damaged, and broken!"

"You're not broken," the boy who was once Emerald said quietly. "At least Barry tried to do something for you. My own uncle kept me in a fucking cupboard. Called me a freak." He gently touched Agatha's shoulder, where he used to perch. "And at least Adam and Lilith care about you, from what I can see."

Agatha looked into the boy's eyes, and asked, quietly, "So…does this mean you were a boy all this time?"

"Uhh, yeah. If it makes you feel any better, you might have noticed I flew away when you got dressed. I mean, you're beautiful and all, but I didn't think you'd appreciate me being a Peeping Tom. I couldn't change back until now, I don't know why."

"You…still have feathers," Agatha said, chuckling, pointing to his head.

He instantly felt for them, and scowled slightly. "Crap. Well, that's what I get for trying an Animagus transformation without training."

"A transformation? Are you a Construct or something?" Glassvitch asked.

"More…something. I'm nobody's lab experiment," the boy said.

Glassvitch snapped his fingers. "Oh! Speaking of which, Agatha, I found your latest machine! You know, your little Clank? Does it work?"

Agatha, timidly, muttered, "I don't know. I mean, I wanted to show you before I showed it to the Master, to Dr Beetle."

" _Bon plan_ ," Glassvitch said. "Dr Beetle is a patient man with you, but wasting his time is still not a wise idea. Shall we see what it does?" He handed over something that looked like a pocketwatch, which Agatha took.

She clicked a button on the top, and a raised section in the middle opened up, revealing an eye. It seemed to sprout a pair of legs, before it started to spasm and convulse, and finally exploded, part of it flying out a nearby window. "Sorry," Agatha muttered.

" _De rien_ ," Glassvitch said. "At least it moved before it exploded, so that's an improvement, no?"

"Not much of one, Glassvitch," came an unpleasant sneer of a voice, an older man with closely-cropped white hair, wearing a visor and an unpleasant scowl on his face appeared, rubbing his head. Merlot, the closest thing she had to a nemesis here. "Encouraging her is a waste of time, and we've got problems enough as it is."

"Problems?" Glassvitch asked.

"Baron Wulfenbach is here, and before you complain, yes, I know he is early by weeks. He's with Dr Beetle as we speak. Glassvitch, we need to clean up after the projects done in the secondary labs. Miss Clay, you and…this vagabond need to get this laboratory cleaned up, and you have half an hour."

"With just two people?" Agatha demanded.

"Don't be insolent!" Merlot snapped. "You seem to be here purely for the twisted amusement of the Master as he watches your pathetic antics, but we are now host to Baron Klaus von Wulfenbach! And he does not suffer fools or incompetence gladly, and you are both!"

"Go fuck yourself, you elitist twat," the boy sneered. "You're worse than Snape, you know that?"

"Well, you had better find some decent clothes, boy, and have a shower. And get those feathers out of your hair!"

Glassvitch took Merlot away, and hissed, "That's enough of your bullying…"

"Quiet, Glassvitch…if they cause enough ruckus, the Baron may not look too closely at the rest of us, understand?" Merlot whispered harshly as he led his colleague out.

Agatha sighed quietly, and then looked at the boy. "Well, we've got half an hour. But how are we going to do that?" she asked.

The boy grinned, rather painfully, before pulling out from his robes a stick, a polished one, apparently made of holly. "Like this," he said, before waving his wand. Almost instantly, cupboards and drawers flew open, and apparatus and blueprints and papers strewn everywhere were soon packed away neatly and tidily. The laboratory was soon, if not immaculate, then more than acceptable. "Wow, I…didn't know that'd work."

Agatha, however, couldn't help but gape. What the hell just happened? She looked at him suspiciously and with sheer astonishment. "…How'd you do that, Emerald?"

"Okay, first thing's first, Agatha? My name isn't Emerald. My real name is Harry Potter. Not that I mind being called Emerald, it was a nice name and all, but I prefer my real name. And as for how I did that…well, I'm a wizard."

 **CHAPTER 1 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry's revealed himself to Agatha…but they have somewhat more pressing concerns on their hands. Like Baron Wulfenbach, for example…**

 **Those who have followed my stories in** ** _The Cauldron_** **may have noticed some copying and pasting from my attempt at a** ** _One Piece_** **crossover,** ** _Mare Nostrum_** **.**

 **Oh, and as some of you may not be familiar with** ** _Girl Genius_** **, here's a dictionary of terms we will be coming across…**

 **CLANK: Robots, particularly steampunk.**

 **CONSTRUCT: Any biological organism created by a Spark, ranging from chimaeras of human and animal, to Frankenstein-like amalgamations of corpses.**

 **SPARK: Both a term for mad scientists and their ability to create new inventions. When in 'the Madness Place', their morality and restraint tends to go by the wayside, while their intelligence, perception, and hamminess rises.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	3. Chapter 2: The Baron and the Beetle

**CHAPTER 2:**

 **THE BARON AND THE BEETLE**

How long had it been since he'd had a shower? Years. Two years stuck as a bird. Hell, he still had feathers in his hair, and he had this weird craving for live mice, but he actually missed being human, now that he had managed to get back to normal.

Thankfully, Agatha managed to find some spare coveralls and a labcoat in his rough size, so he changed into those after his shower, and returned to the lab. Agatha was contemplating something, before she looked up. Merlin, she was beautiful. Blonde hair framed a heart-shaped face, her green eyes peering at him curiously behind thick glasses. And even with that rather Victorian-style dress on, she had a beautiful body.

She reminded him painfully of Hermione, and he struggled to forget that. Hermione may be dead, and he had no way of getting back to try and save her…or avenge her. Along with his other friends.

"…So, Emerald…I mean, Harry…what do you mean by a wizard?" Agatha asked.

"Exactly that. Yeah, I know, not very scientific. I don't think scientists back home found out about magic. Besides, you only have Sparks in books and films and stuff back home."

"Home?"

"Yeah. I know this sounds crazy, but I come from another world entirely, I think. Not unless the Industrial Revolution was crazier than I thought."

"…Another world? Like Mars?"

"No, like another Earth, a parallel universe. I mean, we have Europe, I come from England. It's 1894 here(1), but for me, it was 1996. Like I said, I know it sounds crazy, but…"

Agatha peered at him, before she said, "Look, I'm not going to call what you did magic. It's obviously some sort of Will-based Transmogrification Force(2) that hasn't been quantified by science yet. And I don't know what to make of your story. But I have heard a couple of Heterodyne stories, claiming travel to other worlds is possible…look, you tried saving me from that soldier earlier, and, well, you've been a good companion to me so far. No, a friend. So I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Plus, in hindsight, you're right. You never peeked at me while I was changing. I found that odd, that you were being so polite. Thanks, in retrospect."

"You're welcome. So, what's actually happening here, anyway? Why's that wanker Baron Wulfenbach coming here?"

"I'm not sure," Agatha said, biting her lip. "I think it's something to do with this." She pointed to an apparatus hanging from the ceiling, a complicated cluster of metal tanks and pipes. "I think they called it a Dihoxulator. Dr Glassvitch and Dr Merlot have been working on it for months at Dr Beetle's orders."

"Huh. I wonder why?"

"I don't know. Actually, how did you end up becoming an owl in the first place?"

Harry's face fell at the reminder. "Long story short, I was stupid while trying to save my godfather. I fell through some archway, must've been a portal to another world. In the process, I changed. I don't think we've got enough time for the long story. I don't suppose you have any playing cards?"

* * *

As it happened, there were some in a nearby drawer, and they played a couple of games to while away the time. Agatha seemed to warm more to Harry after the initial shock of learning her pet owl was actually a boy her age died down. And she began humming softly to herself, for reasons Harry wasn't sure about.

Glassvitch and Merlot came back some time later, engaged in a hushed conversation, only to notice the cleaned room, both surprised. "And you were saying she was incompetent?" Glassvitch asked.

"Ah, yes. Well done, Miss Clay," Merlot said, reluctantly, though honestly. "I have to say I'm impressed."

"I had a little help," Agatha said modestly with a smile.

Suddenly, one of the doors burst open, and a heavily-accented voice barked out, "No von move! Dis is hyu only varning!"

The barker of the order was a purple-skinned man-like being with a lot of shaggy hair on his head and face, dressed in a military uniform adorned with a symbol showing a winged castle. His teeth were sharp, and his expression belligerent. A Jägermonster. One of a number of beings like technicolour werewolves with a little more intelligence and civility, though not by much. Creations of the Heterodynes, if Harry recalled correctly.

Following the Jäger were a number of Clanks with the same emblem, along with four people, one of whom said in a deep, resonant voice, "Thank you, Unit Commander, stand at ease."

"Yah, Herr Baron," the Jäger said.

The man who spoke was tall and powerfully built, with a shock of grey hair and icy eyes, dressed in a black coat, his bearing one of effortless authority. Harry knew from pictures that this was Klaus von Wulfenbach, the dictator of most of Europe in this world. While his hackles rose, he at least noted that the man wasn't arrogant in his authority, but more assured.

Another man, dressed in a suit tailored for four arms, which he possessed, was making notes in a notebook, seemingly the Baron's personal assistant. Trailing behind Klaus was a brown-haired boy about their age, clearly the Baron's son, given the facial features. And scrambling next to the Baron was the rotund and short Dr Beetle, a dark-skinned man with a beard. "Damnation, Klaus, you're too early. I told you…"

"And I told you, Beetle, you've had more than ample time to do this," he said, before looking over at Agatha and Harry, along with the two scientists.

"Ah, this is Dr Silas Merlot, my second-in-command," Beetle said, indicating Merlot, who bowed.

"I read your latest report with considerable interest, Doctor," Wulfenbach said.

Merlot responded, "I am honoured, Herr Baron."

"Dr Hugo Glassvitch, my chief of research," Beetle said, indicating Glassvitch, who greeted the Baron. He then noticed Agatha and Harry. "Ah, and this is Miss Clay, our lab assistant, and…who are you?"

"Sorry about that. I'm Harry Potter, a friend of Agatha's," Harry said, looking grateful that Glassvitch didn't contradict him. "I helped her get here after she was mugged. I then helped her clean up a little. Sorry about intruding."

Beetle peered at him suspiciously, before noting the locket, or lack thereof, on Agatha's neck. "Miss Clay, did those muggers take the locket?!" he yelped.

"Yes, they…there was an electrical anomaly of some sort, and while trying to flee, a couple of soldiers took it!"

Beetle hustled Agatha away. "No, no, this is terrible. Look, you're distraught, my dear, and I want you to go home, have a nice lie down, and I will send for the watch to get your locket as soon as possible…"

"No, wait," Wulfenbach said, approaching. "You saw the event, Miss Clay?"

"Harry and I both did," Agatha said. "We were right there."

"Then I want you both to stay. I have questions about that."

"No, Klaus, she's had a terrible shock! She must be allowed to leave!" Beetle protested.

"Master, please, I am fine!"

Wulfenbach, meanwhile, had started examining the apparatus. "Beetle, your concern for your citizens' well-being does you credit, but Miss Clay appears fine to me, so I would like to get started." He looked at the two doctors. "Why is this not finished? I thought that I had explained the underlying principles succinctly enough."

"I don't know, Herr Baron," Glassvitch said. "Constructing the machine up to a point is perfectly fine, but we hit a block in the process."

Merlot nodded eagerly. "We can't reconcile the final linkages with the rest of the assembly. Bluntly, we just don't know what to do to make it work."

Klaus peered at them, as if trying to discern whether they were lying, before he nodded. "Very well. Gilgamesh? Can you work out the problems with this apparatus tonight?"

The brown-haired boy walked over, and peered at it. "I can certainly try, father, but could you explain the theory first?"

As Klaus explained things to his son, Merlot and Glassvitch looked on, the latter muttering despondently, "We're doomed. We haven't managed to finish anything."

"Idiot," Merlot snapped irritably. "We don't have the Spark, and the Baron knows this. It's a test, and not for us. It's for the boy. He's the only heir the Baron has, and I've heard rumours that he's being tested to determine how brightly the Spark burns in him. If it doesn't burn as brightly as it does in his father…"

"Den he vill break him down for parts and try again!" chortled the Jäger.

Harry, who was standing next to Agatha, noticed that she was humming again. He gently led her away from the irritable Merlot, and so witnessed what happened next, with Gilgamesh struggling to make sense of the machine, before he seemed to undergo a nervous breakdown, screaming angrily, "THIS IS LUDICROUS! WHAT ARE YOU FOOLS TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH?! CAN'T YOU SEE WHAT YOU'VE DONE?! THIS IS ALL WRONG! EVEN A FIRST YEAR STUDENT WOULD DO BETTER! THE VARYING FORCES ARE TRYING TO CANCEL EACH OTHER OUT! WHERE ARE YOUR PLANS?!"

Merlot wheeled on Agatha. "Miss Clay, they were on the board! Where are they?!"

Agatha and Harry looked at each other, only for Agatha to pull open a drawer and remove a blueprint. Gilgamesh hurried over, only to trip and fall to the ground, hitting his head. "Master Gilgamesh!" the four-armed man yelped.

Harry helped the brown-haired boy up, even as the Clank aimed a machine gun at him. "HOLD," it intoned.

"Piss off, I'm helping," Harry said, before casting some healing spells discreetly.

Klaus stormed over. "Be careful of how you treat my son and heir, Mr Potter."

"No, father, it's fine," Gilgamesh said, getting to his feet, before nodding to Harry. "Thanks. Anyway, I think I needed that. It's cleared my head. The underlying theory for this Dihoxulator is incorrect."

"What?" the Baron demanded in a quiet, cold tone.

"Yes. What you want is possible, but the theoretical structure is badly flawed. This machine will never work."

His tone downright cryogenic, the Baron asked, "Think very carefully, boy. Are you saying that I am wrong?!"

Harry seemed about to jump to Gilgamesh's defence, only for the boy himself to say, quietly, "Yes."

Klaus considered it, before giving a knowing smile. "And you are correct, my son."

As the scientists yelped in dismay and incredulity, Gilgamesh snapped, "Another test, father? I'm beginning to find this tiresome."

"Much like raising children is," Klaus said with a knowing tone. "But I persevere for now. Thank you, doctors, for your time and effort. You will receive new assignments tomorrow."

"They worked so hard!" Agatha protested.

"We toiled on this for three months for nothing?!" Glassvitch demanded.

Merlot, however, his anger was considerably colder. "…Now I understand. Now I understand why the great Dr Beetle couldn't be bothered to work on such an important assignment. We were mere mortals, without the Spark, and he had real work to do."

"Merlot, mind your tongue! I don't like your attitude!" Beetle said, ambling over.

Merlot slapped Beetle hard. "How d'you like this?!"

Klaus, who was next to Agatha and Gilgamesh, said, quietly, to the Jäger, "Don't do anything." Then, to his son, he said, quietly, "Gil? Consider this an important lesson on employee relations."

"In other words, don't dick them around?" Harry asked.

The faintest of sardonic smirks touched Klaus' features. "In less crude terms, yes."

Harry watched as Merlot ranted and raved at Beetle, before getting a nasty grin on his face. "Does he know that his trusted old mentor has defied his strictest instructions with his latest experiments? Conducted in the middle of a civilian town, I should add? Well, maybe I should show him the truly important work you've been doing!" And despite Beetle's protests, Merlot yanked down on a lever, part of the wall moving aside to reveal…something out of a nightmare.

It looked like a glass orb, surrounded by other apparatuses. And within the orb, something stirred within a womb of liquid. It was hard to tell what it was, though Harry could see insectoid limbs, strange eyes, and bizarre, malevolent faces glinting within the dark green fluid.

"What the bloody hell is that?!" Harry whispered in horror.

"Slaver Wasps," Merlot sneered. "Two weeks ago, we found a fully-functional, unhatched Hive Engine, and Dr Beetle insisted on bringing it here! Now, Master, let's see how you use your superior mind to get out of this!"

"What the fuck are Slaver Wasps?!" Harry demanded.

The others looked at him in puzzlement. "Where've you been?" Gilgamesh asked. "These are Constructs, created by The Other! They turn people into Revenants, mindless slaves to The Other's will!"

"You what? These things control people?" Harry demanded.

"Yes," Klaus said. "Now, hush. I have someone to deal with. Dr Beetle, I had one rule I made you adhere to when I left you control of this city. Report all unusual discoveries, and any devices created by The Other are to be handed over as soon as they are found, and you agreed."

"Under duress! And a leonine contract is worthless! You threatened my city and my university, so I had to agree. You were in control then. Well, no more."

The roof of the lab was peeled open, and a massive Clank that Harry recognised as Mr Tock, the guard to the university, pointed a massive gun at them. "DO NOT MOVE," it boomed.

"Now I am in control!" Beetle laughed. "Well? What do you think of that?!"

Klaus and Gilgamesh's expressions, oddly enough, were rather casual. "Gil, what DO you think of that?"

"Another test?"

"Not exactly. He's deadly serious, but I'm curious about your thoughts."

"Well, he thinks we're in a standoff. If he kills us, our Clanks will kill him. If we attack him, his Clank will kill us…"

"Lemme guess, you have an ace up your sleeve?" Harry said. As the Wulfenbachs and Beetle stared at him, Harry snarked, "Oh, come on, it's obvious given your rather casual attitudes. Just try not to blow up Mr Tock too much, he's nice for a Clank."

"I'm sorry, Mr Potter, but I can't do that," Klaus said, somewhat apologetically, before Tock was hit by a blast from an airship, one of many that now filled the skies above Beetleburg. "The Third Airborne, the Seventh Groundnaut Mechanical, and the Jägermonsters. We brought them here."

Beetle called out for his Clank guards, only for the Wulfenbach Clanks to shoot them. "Older Clanks, Beetle. They may have been state-of-the-art before, but technology marches on with time, and you were left behind. Soon, this city will be secure."

"This is an invasion?!" Beetle demanded.

"This became my city years ago, Beetle. I merely allowed you to administer it."

"But why take it from me now?!"

"A Hive Engine isn't reason enough?" Klaus asked icily. "I've known for some time, even before Merlot's conniption. A field team suddenly has a suspicious communications breakdown, followed by equally suspicious industrial accidents. Your laboratory schedules are changed. The chemical requisitions, and the dramatic spike in honey prices here…" Klaus actually looked saddened. "I wished I was wrong, old friend. I truly did."

"Herr Baron, please," Agatha plead. "Don't kill him."

"I'm not. Where do you get these ideas?" Klaus asked. "Beetle, your people's loyalty, for the most part, is admirable. I have no intention of killing you. In fact, I have use for you…"

"No!" Beetle snarled, unclipping a scarab emblem that adorned his clothes. "I'll never submit to that! You won't get me, or any of us!" With that, he flung the scarab, which turned into a small Clank, at Gilgamesh…or maybe Agatha.

Gilgamesh snatched a wrench from the nearby bench, and swatted it back at Beetle, before pulling Harry and Agatha down to the ground. An explosion rocked the lab, and when the dust cleared, all that was left of Beetle was a charred corpse. Harry and Agatha stared at the charred corpse, with Klaus, after checking that his people and his son were fine, stormed over to the corpse and scowled. " _Gotterdämmerung!_ " he snarled. "His head's totally destroyed. He's dead, and permanently!" He glared at Gilgamesh, as did Agatha.

"Murderer," Agatha hissed.

"Agatha, he was trying to kill us! That thing nearly killed us along with him!" Harry said. Agatha shot him a brief glare.

"He threw a bomb at me!" Gilgamesh protested.

"A poor excuse, that," Klaus said.

"Poor excuse?!" Gilgamesh demanded.

"Vell, I von't say he vas shtupid," the Jäger remarked with a smirk, looking at the ruined body, "but I hain't find' a whole lot of brains around here!"

The four-armed man, whom Klaus called 'Boris', asked, "Can we please leave, Herr Baron? This mess is making my feet stick to the floor."

Agatha tensed, before she roared, "HOW DARE YOU! YOU MURDERED ONE OF THE GREATEST SCIENTISTS IN EUROPE, AND NOW YOU'RE TREATING IT LIKE A KITCHEN ACCIDENT?! THE PEOPLE OF THIS CITY LOVED HIM, AND WHEN THEY FIND OUT HOW YOU…GAAAAH!" She screamed, clutching her head in pain, and Harry gently led her away.

"Forgive her, Herr Baron, but she gets like this when upset," Glassvitch said apologetically.

Klaus sniffed. "Pathetic."

"She has a point, Father," Gilgamesh said.

"Well, the populace could be a problem," Klaus mused.

"Not exactly, Herr Baron," Merlot spoke up, looking to curry favour with him. "Very few people actually saw him on a regular…" But then, he saw Klaus glaring at him, before the tall man gripped him by the shirt and lifted him into the air.

"I despise traitors of all stripes, and you did not expose Beetle's experiments with that Hive Engine out of altruism. His death was your fault, and without your little temper tantrum, I might have salvaged him. I am very annoyed indeed. You want to be rewarded for your treachery? Then you're in charge now. You'll oversee the city, the college, the lands… ** _everything_**. And just so we're clear on how much trouble you are in, the first mistake you make will see you sent to Castle Heterodyne."

Merlot gaped in fear. "No! But all I wanted…"

"Is irrelevant," Klaus said coldly. "Now, what I want is Dr Beetle lying in state, for viewing, by midnight. With a hero's funeral to be held the day after tomorrow."

Merlot, after a moment, turned on Agatha. "Well, I know one important thing I'm going to do today. Miss Clay, you're hereby banned from this university in perpetuity. Leave, and take that grubby little boyfriend of yours with you!"

Harry stormed over, and slugged him, knowing using magic would cause too much interest in him, absence of the Statute or not. As Merlot tumbled to the ground, Harry said, "Fuck off and die, you Snape lookalike! You don't have the authority!"

"I do now! And I want your arrest for assaulting the head of the university! I'M IN CHARGE NOW!"

"Merlot," Klaus said warningly. "I am not pleased with your petty display of power." He looked over at Harry and Agatha, his expression softening slightly. "I will arrange a Jägermonster escort for you two. The streets may not be safe, and my Clanks will be keeping people off the streets."

Harry and Agatha reluctantly nodded, and allowed themselves to be taken away, hoping that this wasn't going to change things for the worse…

 **CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Well, it pretty much is. And Harry is going to have words with Adam and Lilith when they start giving Agatha the old secrecy thing…oh, and he's starting to get angsty over what happened to his friends, or what he thinks happened…**

 **1\. When** ** _Girl Genius_** **is set roughly is a matter of contention, but fan analysis seems to indicate it starting around 1894.**

 **2\. This is the term I invented for GLaDOS to use for magic in my** ** _Portal_** **crossover** ** _Is Your Great-Aunt an AI?!_** **and its sequel,** ** _Just How Can a Computer Do Magic?!_** **The acronym sums up GLaDOS' thoughts on magic…and I'm sure Agatha's too.**


	4. Chapter 3: The Spark Awakens

**CHAPTER 3:**

 **THE SPARK AWAKENS**

The Jägermonster brought them back home, though Harry noticed that the monstrous being had taken a few surreptitious sniffs of Agatha. And not those that were lascivious, either. The Jägermonster seemed to be puzzling something out.

He comforted Agatha along the way, gently rubbing her back. But he wasn't so sure he could really comfort her. After all, with his human form came back his memories, memories he'd tried to suppress within the animal he had become. And with it, the guilt. Were his friends dead? Or worse, did they think him dead?

Harry tried to dismiss such thoughts, instead following Agatha into the repair shop the Clays ran. There, they saw Adam working on some sort of steam-driven tractor, and lifting it up himself. Even for a burly man of his size, it was an astonishing feat.

Agatha seemed about to start complaining about her day to Adam, before Harry gently got her attention. "He's busy, Agatha. You don't want him to drop that on you, do you?"

Agatha, after a moment, shook her head. Adam, however, looked around, and started on seeing Agatha accompanied by Harry. The burly man, a Construct, was mute, so he looked at Agatha, and asked a question by indicating him.

"Adam, it's Emerald. Only, he's really called Harry. He claims to be a wizard from another world or something. I've just had the most awful day in existence. I'll tell you about it when you're not…you know…"

Adam nodded gratefully, before he went back to work. At that point, Lilith, a tall woman with reddish-brown hair and mismatched eyes, one small, the other large, entered. She too was a Construct. "Agatha? What's wrong, child? And who is this?"

"Lilith, this is Emerald…well, his real name is Harry. He claims to be a wizard from another world."

"Hey. Sorry for freeloading," Harry said.

Lilith peered at him, before saying, "We'll talk later. But why have you been crying, Agatha?"

"It's horrible, Lilith! Dr Beetle is dead! He was killed in his lab by Baron Wulfenbach!" Agatha cried, tears running anew.

"Technically, Beetle tried to kill him first, and quite frankly, that bomb could have killed us," Harry said.

"Wait a moment…" Lilith said, as Adam dropped the tractor he was working on. "Did you say…Wulfenbach is here?"

"He's occupying the town. Didn't you notice?" Agatha asked.

Lilith pursed her lips. "I've been canning all morning. Klaus von Wulfenbach…grey hair, stern face, this is the same person?"

"I was there. He had his son along too," Harry said. "Look, Wulfenbach is probably preoccupied with a Hive Engine, whatever the hell that is. Apparently Beetle took it in without telling Wulfenbach."

"What?" Lilith asked. "Oh, Beetle, you idiot! Listen to me, did he see you, Agatha? Wulfenbach, I mean."

"Beetle introduced me briefly," Agatha said.

Lilith nodded thoughtfully, before she noticed the lack of a locket. "Agatha! Where's your locket?!"

"It was stolen earlier, by a pair of deserters from some army or other."

"Not Wulfenbach?" Lilith asked. On Agatha's shake of the head, Lilith muttered, "Damn. We need to find it now!"

Agatha, not unreasonably, snapped, "What?! With everything else going on, THAT'S what you think is important?!"

Lilith and Adam shared a look, before Lilith said, in a tone that reminded Harry too much of Dumbledore prevaricating on telling him information, "Agatha, your uncle was very clear that you should always…"

"Why was she meant to wear the locket?" Harry asked.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but this does not concern you. Especially as you hid what you truly were, wizard or not."

"I couldn't change back! And Agatha is my friend, and if you're going to keep her in the dark, then I'm not going to be happy. I've been with Agatha for two years, and you've fobbed her off before. I know, because I've seen it. Give her one good reason why you should look for that locket! Plus, while Dr Beetle isn't getting any points for keeping something very dangerous in the university, you seem to be placing that locket over his life!"

"Barry told us things we'd need to know if…" Lilith began, only for Agatha to interrupt.

"He never came back! Well, it's been eleven years! Maybe he didn't want to!" she concluded bitterly.

Adam gently put a hand on her shoulder, and shook his head. Then, after a moment, he indicated something to Lilith, who sighed quietly. "Agatha…Barry loved you very much, almost as much as we do." The Constructs gently hugged Agatha for a time, before they released her. "Seeing since Harry won't let us go without some sort of an explanation, I'll give the short version: you have the Spark. I know, you haven't broken through, but Barry, in order to protect you, used that locket to supress the Spark. Sparks who first break through often cause a mess, and are often the target of pogroms. He did that to protect your life. And young female Sparks have a disturbing tendency to just…disappear. Of course, by now, it may not stop her from breaking through, but it can help focus her mind."

"You're trying to stop her from using her gifts?" Harry asked, his tone dangerous. "I get the whole protecting her bit, but she got migraines and was tormented by that bastard Merlot for so long. And don't you dare say it was for her own good or the Greater Good or whatever it was."

"It **_was_** for her own good, Harry. And frankly, while I'd thank you not to take that tone from me, I'm also grateful to you for providing her with companionship she badly needed. Harry, regardless of whether you're a wizard or not, I need to know, will you protect her?"

Harry didn't hesitate. As angry as he was with Lilith, he said, "With my life."

Lilith and Adam looked into his eyes, as if trying to discern whether or not he was trustworthy, before nodding. "Harry, I will trust you to protect her, and to help her. Wulfenbach knows us both, and if he ever finds out about Agatha's true lineage, she will be in trouble. We need to leave Beetleburg. Pack everything you can, Agatha, into your green rucksack. No more than two sets of clothes, but take two extra sets of thick wool stockings and linens."

"We're leaving?!" Agatha demanded.

Lilith nodded. "Once we're on the road, I'll explain in more detail, once it's safe. Prepare similar packs for myself and Adam, along with the blue shouldersack in the closet…and the generator we use to charge. Yes, we really are leaving, Agatha. Also, clean the house, start a fire, and burn everything in the red cabinet. This is important."

"I can start a fire with a spell, you know," Harry said. "Or vanish those papers."

Lilith nodded. "Good. Take our spare generators, disassemble them, and scatter the parts around the shop. And make sure to get rid of everything that could tell someone that Constructs lived here. We'll be heading to the pawnshops and jewellers to find your locket. If it's not there, we'll head to Master Vulpen and see if it's in the Thief's Market. I'll also get travelling clothes for Harry. If we're not back by dark, lock the doors, go to bed by eight, and be ready to leave by dawn."

"The Baron seems to have established a curfew," Agatha said quietly. "There're Clanks and Jägermonsters everywhere."

Lilith and Adam looked at each other, and smirked, Lilith putting on special glasses that made her eyes look the same size. "Like old times, then. Adam and I will change and go out. Harry, I'm putting a lot of trust in you. Don't betray it…"

* * *

"Why did you get so angry with them, Harry?" Agatha asked as they began burning the papers the Clays asked them to.

Harry shot her a look, before he admitted, bitterly, "My headmaster at the school I went to…he wouldn't tell me why a mass murderer was after me. He said a few things, but never told me. He never told me why I had to go back with relatives who hated me. I think Lilith was still hiding something, hell, she admitted as such, and if she doesn't tell you tomorrow, I'll make her."

"She told me enough," Agatha muttered, her hand going to her neck. "…I remember my uncle giving me the locket. Vaguely. Did he really do it to protect me?"

"I hope Lilith was telling the truth, because I'll kick their arses otherwise. Same goes for your Uncle Barry," Harry said. "But it sounds like part of the truth, doesn't it?"

"Yes…I mean, she was telling the truth about female Sparks just…disappearing," Agatha said quietly. "You hear rumours about that. Some say they've been captured, and either made part of a seraglio, or else put into a breeding program. But…why would Baron Wulfenbach be after me and my family?"

"I dunno…" Harry frowned, before he looked over at Agatha. "Look, I know you're upset about Dr Beetle, but isn't having one of those Hive Engine things a bad idea?"

"So I've heard. I mean, I only know a little about The Other and Revenants. The Revanants are basically like zombies, controlled via Slaver Wasps to do the Other's bidding. They used to be a major problem. And yes, I know Beetle did something wrong in doing that, but…shouldn't the Hive Engine be out of the Baron's hands?"

"Well, should have set the damned thing on fire or something," Harry snarked quietly.

Agatha nodded solemnly, as she tossed one last paper on the fire. "…I don't want to move again. I hated the way Uncle Barry had us always on the move…" she muttered morosely.

* * *

After packing, Harry went to bed on the couch, intending to wait until the morning. He intended to get answers from the Constructs no matter what. And this Uncle Barry they kept mentioning…there was something suspiciously familiar about it. But it couldn't be Barry Heterodyne, could it? One of the famous Heterodyne Boys?

In any case, he went to sleep, before he woke up suddenly, hearing a noise from the workshop. He rushed in, only to find Agatha, in little more than a pink camisole and matching pantalets, said underclothes stained with grease and oil, working in the workshop, humming to herself, a strange pseudo-melody. She was assembling some sort of robot…no, a Clank. And she was almost finished.

She sent the Clank on its way, and it stomped off into the pre-dawn streets of Beetleburg. Harry hurriedly went over to her, and gently shook her shoulder. As if sleepwalking, Agatha suddenly started, her eyes wide awake and alert. "Harry?!" she yelped, before looking down at herself. "What the…?! How did I…? I'm…"

"Yeah, you're half-naked, covered in grease and oil, and you've just sent a Clank off into Beetleburg. Looks like Lilith wasn't kidding when she said you had the Spark. You were doing it in your sleep, doing that weird humming thing you used back in Beetle's lab."

Agatha looked up and down, before she said, "I need a shower, and then I need to change. Aren't Adam and Lilith back?"

"Not as far as I know," Harry said, before he saw someone approaching. It looked like the soldier who had accosted them earlier, the one who hadn't been as much of a dick. But now, he looked furious.

"You!" he snarled. "That locket of yours killed my brother!"

"He's dead?!" Agatha yelped, surprised, while Harry brought out his wand.

"You killed him, you witch! And I'm gonna…" Suddenly, he stiffened, and toppled to the ground, and then was wrapped up in ropes for good measure.

Harry sneered at the man in a manner that Snape might have been proud of (if he ever deigned to be proud of the boy who was his childhood enemy's son), and said, "Agatha, get dressed, okay? Then, we'll see if he's got answers…"

* * *

Once Agatha was dressed, Harry released the Body-Bind, but not the ropes. "Now, what happened? And be as civil as you can, or I will end you."

The man struggled briefly, before sighing resignedly. "Fine. My brother…he died because of that damned locket. It had some sort of Madboy's mechanism in it. And that bitch triggered it!"

Agatha shook her head vehemently. "No, I…I didn't even make the locket, my uncle did! It killed your brother?"

The man nodded, scowling. "Omar was a dick, I'll give you that. He hit you, hurt your pet owl, and stole from you. You really didn't know?"

"No, I…it was doing something to me, to keep it safe. Maybe other people…look, while I'm not happy that he stole from me, I didn't want him dead."

"Excuse me?" Harry asked pointedly. "Didn't you say something about glass jars?"

"I mean…I didn't want to murder him myself! I wanted him brought to justice, and…look, it's the only thing I have left of my parents. Please…do you have it?"

After a moment, the man, whom Harry remembered was named Moloch, reluctantly nodded. "I deactivated the damn thing. Broke it pretty good. Only another Spark could fix it. Okay, so you didn't actually mean to kill him. That's pretty cold comfort to me. Especially as you looked like a Spark who's just had a breakthrough."

Harry gently fished around in Moloch's coat, and fished it out. "I'll keep it with me until Adam and Lilith get back," Harry said. "Now, if I let you loose, are you going to play nice?"

"Look, I don't want any part of any Madboy bullshit," Moloch said. "If you can spare some grub before I head off, that'd be great. Omar spent the rest of our money on booze…what's that noise?"

A mechanical clanking noise heralded the return of the Clank, which grabbed Moloch, scrutinised him, and then emitted a chime. "Put him down!" Agatha demanded, and the Clank promptly obeyed, Harry removing the ropes shortly afterwards.

"What the hell?!" yelped Moloch, before suddenly, a number of canisters rolled in, marked with a letter 'C'. Just as blasts of gas burst from them, he had enough time to gasp, "C-GAS!", before the cloud of vapour enveloped them, and soon, so did the darkness of sleep…

 **CHAPTER 3 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Adam and Lilith, or rather, Punch and Judy, have told Agatha a little of the truth…which automatically makes them better than Dumbledore. And Moloch found out what really happened…so will he be more of an ally to them?**

 **No numbered annotations this time…**


	5. Chapter 4: Castle Wulfenbach

**CHAPTER 4:**

 **CASTLE WULFENBACH**

Agatha blinked her eyes open, revealing the forms of both Moloch and Harry, blurred by the lack of glasses. They were in a very unfamiliar room, almost luxurious. Moloch put a finger to his lips, and said, "Be quiet…Agatha, was it? I've just gotten over explaining it to your temperamental boyfriend, who claims to be a wizard. Given that he paralysed me and tied me up with a damned wand, I believe him. Now listen: the three of us are prisoners of Baron Wulfenbach. That Clank you built in Beetleburg got his attention, but he's not sure which of us is the Spark. He wants us in a lab to do Madboy stuff, and I intend to play along long enough so that I can vamoose."

"Apparently he wants whoever made the Clank to make more of them," Harry said, handing Agatha her glasses. "The reason why he's not sure who the Spark is is that he saw you with me in Beetle's lab. He doesn't even know whether I'm a Spark that was originally a Construct or something, so Moloch here says. Incidentally, don't go out dressed like that."

Agatha looked down at her underwear, and shrieked. "How did…?"

"Someone undressed you," Harry said, who was currently dressed in something less shabby, albeit a simple shirt and trousers. "And cleaned you up even more. There's kids out there, apparently, and amongst the people our age, well, you and I already have a reputation for being lovers, according to Moloch."

Agatha scowled, but said, "Okay. I'll work with you for now, Moloch. I don't want to be here anymore than you do."

"Sure." He opened the door, and then said, in a rather lustful tone, "I'll let you two lovebirds catch up." He then emitted a rather perverted growl, before leaving.

Agatha growled back, albeit in anger. "Ugh, who does he think he is?"

"Yeah, I know, I don't like it either," Harry said. "I've still got the locket, thankfully."

Agatha looked over at the two beds. "Are you going to be sleeping in here?"

"No, I think this is someone else's room. I was given another, and Moloch led me in here."

There was a knock on the door, and a red-haired girl poked her head in, wearing a form-fitting sat of coveralls. "You decent?" she asked in an Irish lilt.

"Sort of…" Agatha said.

"Well, nice to meet you. I'm Sleipnir O'Hara, and this is my room…well, our room now. Hope that's okay. If you want to hook up with Harry, you'll have to use his room. He's not sharing yet."

"I'm fine," Agatha said with a smile. This girl seemed to be more welcoming than most. "I'm Agatha Clay. And this is my friend Harry Potter."

"We've met, well, briefly. I've got a robe for you to wear over your undergarments. I'm glad you didn't wander out half-naked. Von Pinn doesn't take kindly to that."

"Von Pinn?" Agatha asked.

"I talked to Sleipnir and some of the others earlier," Harry said. "Von Pinn's some Construct, like a really scary cyber-nanny. I haven't met her yet…"

* * *

Harry waited until Agatha was out of the showers and dressed in a rather form-fitting set of red coveralls. He couldn't help but stare a little. He already knew that many of the children here were hostages taken by the Baron to ensure the good behaviour of the nobles he ruled over…though it was something of a gilded cage, as they also got an education second to none. He was also grateful that they hadn't taken his wand.

Sleipnir introduced them to other Sparks about their age: Nickodeamus Yurkofsky, a long-named young man with a vaguely Middle Eastern name who asked them to call him 'Z' for short, and a haughty woman with light brown hair who was apparently Zulenna Luzhakna, Princess of Holfungborzoi…wherever the fuck that was. The princess seemed dismissive of Agatha's lack of credentials, and left, Sleipnir remarking, "Welcome to the bottom of the heap."

They went into the kitchen and began tidying it up and then coking meals, Harry avoiding using his magic, while discussing more about Gilgamesh, and then Von Pinn. Then, a man with a British accent came in. "Miss Clay? Mr Potter?" The dark-haired young man had the air of a butler. "I am Ardsley Wooster, Master Gilgamesh's man. If it's convenient, would you kindly come with me?"

"Don't worry, you'll be fine. He doesn't kill people…" Sleipnir said.

* * *

Harry and Agatha made their way with Wooster, and the two marvelled at the size of this place. They soon arrived at a large workshop, where Gilgamesh was working on what could have been a small airplane of some sort. "Hey, Miss Clay, and Mr Potter! Glad to see you two up and about! Do you mind bringing me a left-handed lurning wrench?" To a hunched, vaguely insectoid figure covered in a cloak, he asked, "Hey, Zoing, bring us some tea, okay?"

The figure chirped, and waddled away. Agatha brought the wrench to Gilgamesh, and thrust it at him in annoyance. "Fine, let's get this over and done with," Gilgamesh sighed. "Sit down."

Agatha, with bad grace, sat down in the cockpit of the plane, while Harry leaned up against the wing. Gilgamesh eventually said, "Look, I'm really sorry about Beetle dying. His death was a complete waste, but…"

"He threw a bomb at you, yes," Agatha said.

"No, I was there. I think he threw it at you," Gilgamesh said.

"What?! But he loved me like a granddaughter, he wouldn't…"

"Look, he wanted you out of there for some reason before Merlot lost his temper, and something tells me that the reason why could have gotten him into more hot water with my father than hiding a Hive Engine. So, what is it?"

Agatha sat in sullen silence, and Harry glared. "You're gonna do this good cop, bad cop crap?"

"Fine. What about her parents? It's been over a day since we put you to sleep with the C-Gas, and we haven't found them. And judging by your look, Miss Clay, it doesn't surprise you. But it surprises me, given that we sealed the town pretty thoroughly." Then, after another moment of not getting answers, he said, "Okay, what about von Zinzer?" Seeing their looks, he clarified, "Moloch."

"Oh, never mind him!" Agatha snapped. "I'd rather go home and look for my parents!"

"We're looking for them, but my father won't allow you to leave just yet. At the very least, you're key to von Zinzer's good behaviour."

"We haven't been exactly closely-guarded," Harry pointed out, sitting on the wing. "Though I'm guessing there's a reason for that."

Gilgamesh grinned, and then reached for a control, before Harry snatched it from him. "Don't. You look like my godfather just before he wanted to prank someone. What was going to be so funny?"

"…Well, let's just say that if you tried to walk out the front door, it'd be a long way down," Gilgamesh admitted. "We're on Castle Wulfenbach. You may not have noticed, but we're on a massive airship, a castle in the sky that never lands. I grew up on board here, and most of the time, you wouldn't know you were in the air. Hell, some people here haven't set foot on the ground for years."

"What happened to the old castle?" Harry asked, curious despite himself. "Did The Other blow it up or something?"

Gilgamesh nodded solemnly. "My father designed this one as a replacement. He never said that The Other did it, but I think The Other was responsible. That's why he's so obsessed with the machinery like the Hive Engines."

"Merlin," Harry muttered. "He wants revenge or something?"

"Maybe. He never said."

Agatha was meanwhile looking over the airplane's engines, and was humming to herself in that odd fashion, before she looked at Gilgamesh. "Wait…is this a balance arm?" she asked, her voice beginning to raise in volume. "And a heat dump? But those are superfluous!"

"Nicely designed, though," Gilgamesh remarked, oddly unconcerned as Agatha began tearing apart the engine.

"No, no, no…with more room, you could enlarge this flywheel, and it'll act as a balance, and adding coolant lines here and here will also act as a heat dump!"

"Uhh, Agatha, are you okay?" Harry asked.

But the two of them fell into a discussion of the engine, before Gilgamesh grinned. "A whole bunch of stuff we can get rid of. HELP ME UNBOLT THE ENGINE!"

As the two Sparks looked at Harry, Harry remarked, "Is this the point where I should spontaneously grow a hunched back, adopt a lisp, and say, 'Yeth Mathter'? Only, I'm not doing that."

Gilgamesh snorted with laughter. "You should keep him, Miss Clay. And you pointed out a number of flaws. I'm impressed. Have you built or repaired many engines?"

"No, I can't concentrate. Nothing I build ever works! It's so frustrating, I can see it in my mind, but when I try, it all explodes or falls apart or emits smoke. And when I do concentrate, I get headaches. Well, I used to."

"Hmm. Interesting. Well, thanks for your time, Agatha. And same to you, Harry. I'll get Wooster to get you back to the others. I hope to talk to you guys later. Wooster?"

"I'm here, sir," Wooster said, walking, before he gestured for them to follow him back to the living area…

* * *

As Wooster left them near the entrance to the living quarters of the hostages, Harry asked, in a quiet whisper, "I think Gilgamesh knows you're a Spark, Agatha. Be careful."

Agatha nodded, before they came through. "Hey, you're back," Sleipnir said with a smile. "How did it go?"

"Gilgamesh nearly dropped us out of the damned airship," Harry snarked. "In an airplane that had faults. So yeah, you tell me."

"Okay, but a heads-up. Apparently Von Pinn is on her way, so be on your best behaviour." She looked over Harry and Agatha's shoulder, and froze in fear, as did the others present, children and teenagers and young adults alike.

"She's behind us, isn't she?" Agatha asked wearily.

"I am indeed," hissed a voice.

Harry sighed, and turned around, as did Agatha. And then, he blinked. He very nearly asked if the woman in front of him was into bondage or something, but an instinct told him that was a very bad idea. Though she had the kinky figure-hugging black leather outfit, fastened with a lot of buckles and straps. The woman's face was beautiful, but it was a hard belligerent beauty, blonde hair tied into a bun, a ruby-coloured monocle over her left eye. Her mouth was filled with sharp teeth, and her fingers were like claws.

"I am Von Pinn," she hissed. "I am in charge here. You are Agatha Clay and Harry Potter. What little I have heard of you is not impressive. I will not allow either of you to put my charges into danger. And if you are to engage in any… _close activity_ , then do so well away from impressionable minds. You will conduct yourselves in a manner fitting the station of those here."

"Fine, I won't swear in front of the kids. If I can help it," Harry said sarcastically. Probably unwise, but better not to antagonise her too much.

"Good. As long as we understand one another," the woman said, apparently noting his sarcasm for later. She pulled a watch from somewhere in her outfit (where the hell did she have pockets, though, Harry wondered), before nodding. "I have a class shortly. I am never late." With that, she left, actually all but running at a speed that even a human athlete couldn't match.

"…Wow," a dark-skinned boy about their age said. "You managed to be sarcastic to Von Pinn, and got away with it. She must've been in a better mood than usual. I'm Theopholous DuMedd."

"He's the head boy," Sleipnir explained. She then looked at the kids, who looked nervous. "Hey, tell them a story, that'll help take their minds off things."

"Sure…"

* * *

DuMedd told a story, supposedly about The Other really being a Dragon from Mars, one where the Heterodyne Boys, with the help of Klaus von Wulfenbach, Lucrezia Mongfish, and her father, defeated said monster, though Klaus and Lucrezia were left behind on Earth while the Heterodyne Boys, along with Dr Mongfish, an infamous Spark headed to Mars. Apparently, the Mongfishes were infamously villainous, though Lucrezia turned to the side of good after marrying Bill, so they claimed. And Sleipnir told them about how DuMedd was related to Mongfish, though that meant little, in the end.

As the kids scattered, Agatha smiled. "Hey, pretty good. I haven't heard that one before."

DuMedd grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, well…I just made it up, though I'm glad you liked it. My favourites were those with the Heterodyne Boys' dopey Constructs, Punch and Judy."

Agatha noted Harry looking surprised, and even more so when she admitted, "I didn't hear many of those. My parents hated them. My favourite was _The Heterodyne Boys and the Race to the West Pole_."

'Z' smirked. "You have an ear for the truth. That one mostly happened. My father built the mechanical camel. He was the Iron Sheik, you see."

Agatha rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment. "Sorry. I just…I'm not used to thinking of them as real people."

"As real as you or I," 'Z' said.

Agatha noticed that Harry looked pensive, and asked, "What's the matter?"

"…Not now. I think we'll have to wait until we're in private."

DuMedd had to go over and break up an argument between a pair of younger boys about Slaver Wasps. The story that DuMedd told had Bill and Barry use a special suction device to remove Slaver Wasps. Zulenna, who had come back with a book, remarked that nothing could cure a Revenant. As the discussion turned to Hive Engines, one of the boys mentioned seeing one being loaded in, along with Agatha and Harry. Agatha looked at Harry. "That must've been the one Dr Beetle was working on," she said, as they moved away.

"In the middle of a town?!" 'Z' demanded incredulously. "What was he thinking?"

"Who said he was?" Harry asked dryly.

"More to the point, what's the _Baron_ thinking, working on it here?" Sleipnir hissed.

"The Baron can handle anything," Zulenna said haughtily.

"So, where do you think this thing will be?" DuMedd asked.

"The Large Dangerous Mechanical Lab would be my guess," Sleipnir said, giving DuMedd a suspicious look. "Are you seriously considering sneaking into one of the Baron's labs? Especially after what happened last time?"

"…Well, yeah," DuMedd admitted after a brief pause.

"Sweet! Let's go!" Sleipnir said, her demeanour changing from suspicious to gleeful instantly.

"Oh no," Harry muttered dryly. "This is going to end badly…"

* * *

And it did. Despite being stealthy, their little expedition, while interesting (in a macabre, terrifying way), was ruined when one of the kids, who tagged along, panicked on seeing something. They were forced to flee, and in the process, Harry and Agatha got separated from the others. Harry noted that Klaus, the moment he realised there were intruders, actually asked if they were all right. The man had intruders in there, and his first thought was for their safety.

Which was weird, but Klaus was showing himself to not be a typical tyrant.

"Of course, there's one thing that really disturbs me," Harry muttered as they fled down one corridor, hoping to get back somewhere safe.

"What's that?"

"We overheard what the Baron was asking those two scientists, right? He asked whether that Hive Engine was eighteen years old…or brand new."

Agatha caught on. "You mean he believes that The Other is still around?"

"Gilgamesh said he's obsessed with The Other. Maybe he knows who it is," Harry said.

Agatha looked around, and scowled. "Oh no, we got lost. Where are we?"

"I dunno."

"Well, we'll keep going until we either find someone to help us, or run out of airship," Agatha said. Then, a thought seemed to occur to her. "Hey, earlier, you seemed to think about something, just before DuMedd and the others took us on that little expedition. What was it?"

Harry frowned, before he remembered. He halted, and then looked around, to see if anyone was nearby, before he said, quietly, "Look, this is only a theory, but things are adding up in a way I don't like, with too many coincidences. You said Adam and Lilith don't like any Hetereodyne Boys story involving Punch and Judy, right?"

"Right. I mean, I wasn't really allowed to read them in general, or watch the plays when they were performed in town, but…" And then, it seemed that Agatha caught on. "Wait a moment…Lilith…she told me that Constructs never liked how Punch and Judy were portrayed in those stories, but I once made a remark about how she had mismatched eyes just like Judy."

"Yes. And you have an Uncle Barry. Two Constructs who match the rough descriptions of Punch and Judy? An Uncle Barry who was a Spark, and suppressed yours? I think Lilith was right. There was a good reason for suppressing your Spark." Harry opened the locket, and pointed to the pictures of Agatha's parents. "William Heterodyne…and Lucrezia Mongfish. We may not be able to escape this place yet, but we need to be bloody careful now. Because if my hunch is correct, you're a Heterodyne, Agatha…"

 **CHAPTER 4 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Oops. The cat's out of the bag. Still, at least the meeting with Von Pinn wasn't as fractious as canon, thanks to Gilgamesh avoiding crashing an airplane into Castle Wulfenbach.**

 **Review-answering time!** **OBSERVER01** **: Oh, he'll get his when Castle Heterodyne comes into play. He won't get off as lightly as he did in canon. As for his reaction…well, there'll be only one Dingbot initially (Harry and Agatha don't spend as much time on Castle Wulfenbach as Agatha did in canon), but Harry's been around Sparks for long enough that he'd be more like '…Huh.'**

 **Tamha** **: Thank you very much. I have a lot of good fics, and not just** ** _Is Your Great-Aunt an AI?!_** **, and this one will be at least 20K words.**

 **Dauntes** **: Agatha is actually going to learn more about what is happening earlier. In Chapter 6 and 7, Klaus will confront Agatha, and tell her about what he suspects in an attempt to try and bring her onto his side, while in Chapter 8, Judy explains more. So while some of the stations of canon will be adhered to (the travelling circus, Sturmhalten, etc), many things will be different.**

 **frankieu** **: Well, wait and see. Let's just say that, while Agatha and the Wulfenbachs aren't going to be friends anytime soon, allies may be another matter entirely. Don't worry, Gil's still going to be a friend of Agatha's, eventually, though not as much as canon.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	6. Chapter 5: Gentleman Adventurer and

**CHAPTER 5:**

 **GENTLEMAN ADVENTURER AND GENERAL JÄGERS**

Agatha stared at Harry in absolute shock. Well, why wouldn't she be? She had just been told that she was a member of one of the most infamous Spark families in the world. "…But…I'm just me…Agatha Clay…"

To her astonishment, Harry laughed quietly. On her look of annoyance, he clarified, "No, I'm not mocking you. I just realised, it's just like…seven years ago now? A man called Hagrid, a giant of a man, bigger even than Adam…well, Punch, he came to me and told me I'm a wizard. I was eleven, and had been told there was no such thing as magic. Hell, I was told my parents were drunkards, layabouts, and that they had died in a car crash. Anyway, I had pretty much the same reaction to learning I was a wizard as you did to being a Heterodyne."

Oh. That made sense. "But why would I need to be careful?"

"You're in the middle of an airship commanded by Baron Wulfenbach, a tyrant over most of Europe. You could be a symbol of rebellion people could rally around. Do you think he'd allow that to happen if he knew who you were?"

"But…wasn't the Baron one of the Heterodyne Boys' allies?"

"Probably. But people change. Remember, Punch and Judy, if that's who they were, didn't want the Baron to see either of them, or you for that matter. He'd probably recognise them instantly, and he might realise who you are. We need to find a way off this airship before he does."

"Can't you use that teleportation thing? The one you used me to get to university?"

"Only if I have a destination in mind, and it's called Apparition. I could look out the window, and Apparate us to the ground, but it'd be pretty rough. I'd need to find a way to do it with you and that Moloch guy. He's an arsehole, but I won't leave him here. The others, well, they seem fine as the Baron's hostages, as much as I hate to say it. The Baron isn't like Voldemort, he seems to do things for relatively good reasons."

Agatha nodded, and they started back down the corridor, only to come to a dead end. She frowned in thought. "We haven't reached the end of the airship yet, and there's no turnoffs, no observation windows, nothing." Her frown turned to a grin as she examined the wall.

"A secret door?" Harry asked.

"Yep, and there's a rivet that looks loose, so…" She pressed it, and the door slid open, revealing a large dim chamber beyond, a pit in the middle, with grinding gears down the bottom.

"Ah, you must be the villain's beautiful daughter…and her Construct paramour?" boomed a voice. "Just in time, then."

The source of the voice came from a man, suspended by various chains and restraints above the pit, a bomb attached to his feet, and a strange apparatus fixed to his head. He was muscular, dressed only in trousers, his eyes covered by a visor, and his face adorned by a white beard.

"The next person who calls me a Construct, I'm going to neuter," Harry muttered sullenly. Louder, he asked, "Did you just call her Baron Wulfenbach's daughter? Only, she isn't."

"Plucky lab assistant, then?" the man asked. "Here to set me free, no doubt."

"And you are…?" Agatha asked.

"Oh, right. Allow me to introduce myself! I am **_OTHAR TRYGGVASSEN, GENTLEMAN ADVENTURER!_** " It was as if he was announcing himself in some ham-filled play about his life.

After a moment, Harry pinched the bridge of his nose, and muttered, "Merlin, it's another Lockhart."

"Othar. THE Othar," Agatha said sceptically. "The man who defeated the Wooden Warriors of Dr Krause?"

"Of course!"

"The saviour of the hamlet of Lunkhauser from the Ever-Widening Moat?"

"Indeed!"

Agatha peered at the man, before deciding on something. "The hero who saved Mount Horeb from the Mustard Rain."

The man claiming to be Othar seemed to be thrown by that one. "Umm…actually, I don't know that one."

"That's because I made it up," Agatha said. "Although you don't seem too worried about…you know…"

"Being chained up in a helpless predicament like a human piñata?" Harry finished for her.

"Well, it's a trifle inconvenient," Othar said, looking like he would shrug nonchalantly if he wasn't chained up. "But escape is an inevitability rather than a possibility, for I am the hero, after all, and you two are just what I need!"

"An audience?" Agatha asked. Harry snorted.

"No! You can be my spunky sidekicks! I prefer the ladies, but I'm equal-opportunity, and in any case, I'm fresh out of sidekicks at the moment. Release me, and we'll destroy the Dirigible of Doom, make a daring escape at the last moment, and then it's cocoa and schnapps all around!"

"Oh dear Merlin, it's as if Lockhart and James Bond had a bastard mutant lovechild," Harry groaned. "And now I'm imagining Gilderoy Lockhart and James Bond _having sex_. Why did I do that?" he moaned, before turning to Agatha. "Agatha, do you know whether any Spark has invented something that can erase hideous mental images? Especially those that you inflict on yourself?"

"I don't know, ask the Baron," Agatha said. "And who is Gilderoy Lockhart, or James Bond for that matter?"

"I'll explain later."

"Uh-huh." She looked at Othar. "Spunky sidekick? Really? Look, no offence, but I've been around Sparks and their labs for most of my life, and I'd rather not end up as, oh, the Easily-Duped Minion Who Sets the Dangerous Experiment Free. Or the Hostage Who Ensures the Escape of the Smooth-Talking Villain."

Othar seemed bemused. And Harry added, "What proof is there that you're Othar? Or not a Construct or something? Seriously, is there any call for initiative or intelligence as sidekicks?"

"…Umm, it's optional, though I won't say no to it," Othar admitted, looking shamefaced. "But even if you don't know who or what I am, is it truly a good thing to allow a fellow sentient to remain trussed up like this?"

"Depends on the experiment, I suppose," Agatha mused.

"…You've definitely spent too much time around Sparks," Othar said. Harry, for once, agreed with the man.

"Vot's vith all dis yakkink…GOTT'S LEETLE FEESH IN TROUSERS!" This last interjection came from one of a pair of Jägers who had opened another door to the room. And Harry sighed. It had been good while it lasted…

* * *

Except the Jägers didn't take them prisoner. Instead, one of them, who had orders regarding an Agatha Clay, took them to another section of the airship, stopping only to chase away a Lackya, a footman Construct which the Jäger claimed was probably engineered from squirrels. The Lackya and Jägers were often at each other's throats. Though he got somewhat fractious when Agatha compared the Lackya to the Jägers, in that they were both taken in by the Baron after their masters left.

They finally came to a room, where they were greeted by an ancient, hulking Jäger with metal caps on tusks and green skin, dressed in a red uniform. "General Khrizan, sir! Diz is Miz Agatha Clay, who smellz verra nize, but tinks ve iz like dose poncy, useless Lackya."

"She sees that, does she?" the massive Jäger rumbled. "And this other one?"

"Harry Potter, a Construct…"

"NOT a Construct!" Harry said. "I wear these feathers for stylistic reasons."

"Thenk hyu, Minsk. Hy vill talk to dem. Beck to hyu post." As the other Jäger marched away, the general said, "I tink dat der are tings ve should tell each odder, Meez Agatha Clay, and Meezter Harry Potter. Pliz to come inside."

Harry and Agatha didn't notice any hostility from the hulking monster, so they reluctantly acceded. The décor of the room beyond was, frankly, a touch on the garish and tacky side. Oh, it was warm and cozy, but the samovar in the middle had rather erotic-looking decorations of female demons. So too did the walls. Khrizhan said, quietly, "Hy must apologise for the décor. General Zog does not believe dot age, or de dignity of his office, should interfere vit a rich fantasy life."

"Dose are memories, Alexi, un don hyu forget it!" This came from one of two other massive Jägers in the room. One was shorter than Khrizhan, and older, bent, even. The other was larger, his mouth ridiculously wide, and wearing a metal dome seemingly bolted onto his head, goggles obscuring his eyes.

"Dis iz General Zog," Khrizhan indicated the elderly Jäger, "and dis iz General Goomblast."

"And dis must be de Meez Agatha Clay and Meezter Harry Potter, dot made an impression on our comrade in Beetleburg. Velcome," Goomblast said, his voice not as deep a rumble as Harry or Agatha expected…

* * *

What followed was an odd discussion. The Jäger generals had a box filled with Agatha's belongings from Beetleburg, and wanted to give them tea and supper, which they had, though Harry noticed that they scrutinised Agatha more than he liked to, though Goomblast ushered them out when an argument started between Khrizhan and Zog. He asked a Jäger called Andre to escort them back.

Andre then began waxing lyrical about Von Pinn, who apparently had a following amongst the Jägers for her violent tendencies. And then, just as they neared their quarters, well, speak of the devil, and she would appear…

"MISS CLAY! MISTER POTTER! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!" she snarled from the end of a corridor.

"Yowza! Moof alonk now, kiddos!" Andre said as Von Pin began charging at them.

"Look, can you guys hold off on your little sadomasochism thing until later?" Harry snarked wearily.

"MOVE OR DIE, ANDRE!" roared Von Pin, ready to pounce on the Jäger.

"Whoo-hoo! Already vit de sveet tok!"

As Von Pinn pounced, Harry had enough. He wordlessly cast Body-Binds on them both, in time for Von Pinn to…pin Andre to the ground. He then gently rolled Von Pinn off the Jäger, and then looked at them. "Okay. Lover boy, we're back where we were supposed to be. Run off back to barracks or something. Don't try to molest her while she's down either." He turned his gaze to Von Pinn. "And when I release you, we're going to have a nice, civilised discussion, preferably without any screaming, growling, or injury, mortal or otherwise. Got it?"

The Jäger was soon released, and scurried off down the corridor. "Ah, you still unlearned in de vays of luff," Andre said. "I vill try again later. See hyu later, sveethot." He blew the paralysed Von Pinn a kiss, before skipping down the corridor.

After a moment, Harry undid the Body-Bind, and to her credit, Von Pinn didn't pounce on him, though if looks could kill, he'd be a smoking spot on the floor. "What did you do to me?"

"Trade secret. You're meant to be a nanny or something, despite the kinky bondage getup. But I don't think I like the fact that you are trying to attack Agatha. So, the next time you try it, I will not only freeze you, but I will dress you up as…a clown, maybe? Or maybe Mary Poppins?"

"Who's Mary Poppins?" Agatha asked.

Von Pinn glared at Harry. He had to admit to being impressed. On a scale of 1 to Snape for evil glares, she ranked an 8, easily. Plus, she was sexier than Snape, and scarier. "Where were you two?" she asked.

"Trying to avoid getting into trouble," Harry replied. "I tend to attract trouble, unfortunately."

Von Pinn's nostrils flared at the evasion. "Then I would suggest you try harder. And I needed no help fending off the Jäger."

"Yeah, it was more of the reverse. Plus, I wanted to make sure you understood that I am protecting Agatha with my life, and I take it very seriously. Threaten her enough, and I will do more than prank you. I may not be as strong as you, but, well, that paralysis trick? I've got more lethal tricks up my sleeve."

Von Pinn glanced between the two, before emitting a scoff. "Maybe you do. But I'm faster than you. Go back to your rooms."

* * *

Once back there, they politely refused an invitation to a small party Gilgamesh was holding, regaling people with tales of Paris. The one inviting them, a young man with a yarmulke called Hezekiah Donowitz, then told them that Gilgamesh was complimenting them, but if they wanted to go to bed early, Sleipnir had left them food in Harry's room. Apparently, Sleipnir was going to allow Harry and Agatha to have some 'alone time' together if they wanted.

Upon entering the room, however, they found a large white cat about to eat the food, but upon spotting them, it scooted under the bed. Having eaten some of the things that the Jäger generals had given them, they weren't hungry, and Agatha put her tray down on the floor. "We're not sleeping together," Agatha said. "But…I'd rather sleep here with someone I know."

"So, still sleeping together, just not 'together' together," Harry said. He was lucky his room had two beds.

Agatha nodded. "I mean, I barely know you, Harry. You know me better than I know you. I only trust you because, well, you try to look out for me. That, and, well, while you were an owl, you did try to help me…and didn't peek while I was dressing."

"I tried to give you that courtesy."

Agatha nodded, before removing her clothes, leaving only her camisole and pantalets on. She was blushing a little, but on Harry's look, she said, "You've seen me enough times like this. Just…if I sleepwalk…or Sleepspark…please try to wake me if you see me doing it. Or at least drape a coat over me."

"Okay. Othar was right about one thing. You _are_ beautiful."

She chuckled nervously, before asking, "Do you think that really was him?"

"Maybe. I dunno."

"Well, why does the Baron have him locked up, then?"

"Again, I dunno. Maybe he's dangerous. I mean, isn't he himself a Spark? And the way he talked…he's like Lockhart, though he's probably more competent and dangerous. I mean, he had all those shackles and stuff on him."

"Yeah, well, while we're here in this room, maybe you could tell me more about your life. I'm still not sure whether you're some weird Construct with powers I don't think have been seen before, but…I want my mind taken off things. Like if I'm really a Heterodyne, and what the Baron would do if he found out."

Harry agreed, and over the next couple of hours, he regaled Agatha with tales of his adventures, albeit somewhat abridged. A couple of times, he had to stop when his thoughts of his friend overwhelmed him. All he could do was try and numb the pain in his soul, before going on.

One thing he did notice was that the cat had crawled out and started eating the food while he spoke to Agatha. The unusual thing he noticed was that the cat was using its front paws like hands…and successfully at that. The cat noticed him watching, and Agatha herself looked at the cat, before they decided to return to Harry's tales. Though that begged the question, was the cat a Construct?

* * *

"I'm not convinced it will work," Lilith, or rather, Judy said. She and her husband were around a small campfire, along with a few new companions. Companions that they had run into while fleeing Beetleburg. Companions who knew Harry.

"It will work," said one of them. "Our messenger is very loyal to Harry, and he will know it's us. Our messenger would have been able to get Harry back alone, but to get your daughter as well, this is better. It guarantees both will come back…and anyone else that might be in trouble. Harry…well, I once said to him he has a saving people thing. It's exasperating, really. In any case, we need to warn him that he has people coming after him…and they won't hesitate to use Agatha to get what they want. After all…" And at this point, the young woman's voice took on a bitter tone. "…It's all for the Greater Good…"

 **CHAPTER 5 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry and Agatha have met Othar and the Jäger generals, and have survived an encounter with Von Pinn. But it seems that Harry has been followed to this world, and not all of the interlopers have his best interests in mind…**

 **Review-answering time!** **edboy4926** **: She would drop dead, obviously. Well, unless another factor from later in the story came into play.**

 **OBSERVER01** **: Harry probably has watched** ** _Transformers_** **, from the cupboard while Dudley watched the show, and the same goes for** ** _Star Wars_** **, but only one Dingbot will be in existence by the time they flee Castle Wulfenbach. Interestingly, speaking of fictional universes…well, according to the novelisation, sonic screwdrivers exist in the universe of** ** _Girl Genius_** **.**

 **Mordalfus Grea** **: More of the latter than the former.**

 **No numbered annotations this time…**


	7. Chapter 6: Revelations

**CHAPTER 6:**

 **REVELATIONS**

In another timeline, it would have taken until he saw Agatha in the company of Punch and Judy to make the connection with the Heterodynes, Klaus believing in error until then that Agatha was the lover of Moloch, who he thought was a spark. But with Harry's presence, the waters of who the Spark truly was was muddied considerably, and Klaus' mind, while actually thinking about it, began to put things together. And Von Pinn's report of Harry using some strange power to paralyse her and a Jäger was disturbing, but it helped things click into place. Not directly, but it helped keep his mind from focusing on Moloch as the only Spark candidate.

In truth, for the past little while, he suspected Agatha Clay to be the culprit. The reason was that she was beginning to remind him uncannily of Lucrezia Mongfish, the woman he once loved, the woman he was almost certain was The Other. Oh, not in character, beyond her rants he witnessed in Beetle's lab, which in retrospect, seemed very much like Lucrezia. But in appearance…well, if she was the offspring of Bill and Lucrezia, she certainly looked the part. And her voice was, at times, similar.

So how had she been hidden away? More to the point, _why?_ Why hadn't the Heterodynes trusted him with her? Were they afraid he would equate Agatha with The Other? He certainly knew that was a possibility, as he was considering that. But another, more frightening possibility occurred to him: he had The Other's agents in his ranks, and that was why the Heterodyne Boys hadn't trusted him.

Was the Harry boy a Construct, then, that she had made while breaking through in improbable obscurity? Did he have powers because of that? It was a definite possibility. But if so, the Clank in Beetleburg sent to search for someone was an anomaly: it was crude, closer to how a Clank would look when created by someone just breaking through. Perhaps Harry was a Construct created by another Spark, either created by the Heterodyne Boys, or else found by Agatha and befriended. Yes, the latter solution made sense. Harry Potter was a Construct created by another Spark, one that Agatha befriended. Which was troubling in of itself, given his ability to paralyse Von Pinn.

Klaus decided to see Agatha, Moloch and Harry in the lab assigned to them this morning. He wanted the truth from them…

* * *

Harry was surprised to smell a faint smell of burning in the bedroom the next morning, and found that Agatha was gone. She left a note for him, saying she was down at the lab assigned to Moloch. He soon got dressed, grabbed a few sandwiches in the dining area outside, and made his way down.

Along the way, he thought about last night. Agatha listened to his stories raptly. It was clear she wasn't sure whether she should believe him, her seeing his magic aside, but she seemed to enjoy the stories all the same. And she had smiled at his stories.

He arrived at the lab to find Agatha and Moloch in discussion about his past as a former soldier of the Duke D'Omas. "…All I'm saying is, you've got it good in the towns," he concluded bitterly. "They at least get cleaned up, repaired, disinfected. Not like the rest of the world." He looked up when Harry arrived. "And look who it is."

"You two aren't arguing, are you?"

"Just thinking of escape plans," Agatha said. "Moloch here's good with machines, even if he isn't a Spark. Oh, and Harry…I very nearly started Sleepsparking again, only…I heard this weird song, and smelled burning. It calmed me down, and I saw this letter on you when I woke up properly, though I slipped back into it when I got here to the lab."

"A letter? And you took it?" Harry asked.

Agatha fished around in her dress, and handed the envelope over. Harry stared at the envelope, and then whispered, "It can't be." He _recognised_ that handwriting. But it couldn't be…her. He tore open the envelope, and read. Just the nine words at the top of the page brought him terrible, terrible hope.

 _I Solemnly Swear I Am Up To No Good_.

* * *

Agatha watched as warring emotions flitted across Harry's face, before he all but sagged to his knees. Agatha went over to him, only to have the letter thrust at her. She took it, and read.

 _I Solemnly Swear I Am Up To No Good._

 _Harry,_

 _If you're reading this, then you're alive. That's the news I've always wanted to hear, but it's not good news for some. Harry, there's too much to say in just one letter. However, I'm here with Remus, Sirius, and Tonks, along with the Twins, thanks to Fawkes, who sent this letter to you. Anyone else you recognise from back home, you can't trust yet. We've found Punch and Judy, or as you knew them, Adam and Lilith Clay. They thought you'd be with Agatha. If so, bring her, and anyone else you think needs help with this letter. It's a Portkey. The trigger phrase, which you shouldn't speak until you're ready, is 'Athena'._

 _Remember, you and Ron saved me from that Troll in our first year. We saved Buckbeak and Sirius using my Time-Turner. Just so you know who it is. Anyway, I hope you get here soon._

 _Love,_

 _Hermione Granger._

She recognised the name from Harry's stories, of course. And something within her felt a twinge of jealousy at the 'love' bit at the end of the letter. "Is this really her?" Agatha asked.

"I think so. That bit at the top? Few people know that phrase, and all of them I trusted," Harry said, tears running freely from his eyes. "And a Portkey means it can take you almost instantly to another part of the world, as long as you're holding onto it. I thought…I thought they were…" His voice caught in his throat in a sob.

Agatha gently handed the letter back to him. But as he put the letter back in his pocket, the door opened, and the imposing figure of Klaus von Wulfenbach strode through, followed by a couple of Clanks, and Boris. "Am I interrupting something?" he asked.

"Yeah," Harry muttered, wiping his eyes, and giving the Baron a glare. "Well?"

"I think this charade has gone on long enough," the Baron said. "I know you are the real Spark, Agatha Clay…or should that be Heterodyne?" He leaned forward, and peered into her face. "Yes…you look and sound considerably like your mother…though I would hope for your sake, and that of Europe, that you are closer to your father and uncle in character. What's more, you show a lack of surprise. You've known all this time?"

"I suspected since yesterday, or rather, Harry did. He figured it out based on…something," Agatha said, evading saying anything about Adam and Lilith.

"I see. And these two?"

"Moloch got caught up in it because his brother stole my locket," Agatha said. "Harry…has been my friend for some time. The past two years. I found him, injured and hurt, and nursed him back to health."

Klaus made a grunt of understanding, peering at Moloch. "Yes…I should have recognised the emblem of D'Omas' soldiers when you were first brought in. I believe I recently sent Bangladesh DuPree to mop up your remnants."

"Bangladesh DuPree?" Harry asked.

"The Psycho Queen Bitch of the Pirates," Moloch said bitterly. "One of the monsters under the Baron's command, even if she's no Spark's creation. Mad, bad, and dangerous to know." He then realised who he was insulting DuPree in front of, and flinched.

But Klaus merely chuckled. "Your assessment is rather accurate, von Zinzer. But she is considerably more useful as an ally than an enemy. Unlike your mother, Miss Heterodyne. I am currently considering how much of a threat you truly are."

"Because people hate you enough to rally around a Heterodyne," Harry remarked.

"Partially. The Heterodyne Boys singlehandedly rehabilitated their family name by doing what they did on their adventures. But do you know how long it took for everything to collapse back into chaos? Your mother, Miss Heterodyne, exiled me in order that I couldn't interfere with her plans, I suspect. Plans, I should add, ended up with Europe in chaos. It was as if your father and uncle had never existed. No, worse. So I _stopped_ it, _my_ way. No more negotiating, promises, or second chances. I did so alone because there was nobody else… _and it worked_. I wish it hadn't been that way. You may not think highly of me, any one of you, but running an empire gives me no pleasure. It's like dealing with squabbling infants at a kindergarten. I'd much rather be doing my research. I haven't seen my wife in years, and I frankly miss your father and uncle's company. I loved the adventures we went on. But if I don't keep the peace…who will?"

Harry scoffed. "Are you justifying it to us, or yourself? I mean, don't get me wrong, as far as would-be tyrants are concerned, and I've met a few, you're actually sane. I'm not saying I like you, but I'm giving you a chance to explain."

"It's the Heterodyne I am explaining myself to, not her Construct friend."

"Why does everyone think I'm a bloody Construct? Is it the feathers?"

Agatha gestured for him to be quiet, before saying, "If you know who I am…and what my mother is like…you seem to know more than me. I only know about the Heterodyne Boys and my mother through _stories_. Why do you hate my mother so much?"

Klaus seemed to gather himself, thrown by the question, before he admitted, in something that would rock Agatha's world more than anything else she had heard so far, "…I am almost certain she was The Other."

* * *

Harry watched as Agatha gaped in shock, before her green eyes gained an impressive glare. "No…No, she can't be…"

"I am almost certain of it. Every Spark has a distinctive style, much like every artist has their own distinct style. And The Other's machinery is very much like Lucrezia's style, albeit with…changes. Advances in style. I very nearly entertained the possibility that, as styles can run in families, it may have been you that did this, but in retrospect, given that you only recently broke through…well, my original hypothesis stands. It is not just the fact that you are a Heterodyne that worries me, Agatha, but that you are the child of Lucrezia. In fact, it puts Beetle's interest in you in a rather sinister light, considering his concealment of a Hive Engine, one that I am not sure whether it is from the time of The Other's War, or more recent."

"And what, you're accusing her of being The Other's reincarnation?" Harry demanded.

"NO!" Klaus roared. A little more quietly, he said, "No. If I truly thought her to be truly like her mother, I would have put her into a cell already, _and kept sedated_. I'm still sorely tempted."

"Or hang me over a pit like you did with Othar?" Agatha asked coldly.

"How did you…hmmph. Sadly, the tales of Othar's so-called heroism fail to mention a key fact. He has made it his life's mission to exterminate all Sparks, benign or not, and considering he is a Spark himself, he will end his mission by committing suicide. To be fair, he has a point, given how many Sparks have ruined people's lives, but unfortunately, he has killed a number of Sparks who were useful to me, and murdered others whose only crime was to admit they were a Spark while he was nearby. I intended to use brain surgery on him to see if I can remove his Spark. I'm getting better at it, though the whole 'quality of life' thing afterwards is somewhat tricky…for you, though…I have considered this very carefully. Agatha, your father and your uncle worked hard to help others. I may not be particularly loved as a leader, but I have brought peace and stability to Europe. Should you expose yourself, rebellions would crop up everywhere. I'm sure there are at least multiple fake Heterodyne heirs around, ready for placement. More than a few have gone to Mechanicsburg, to Castle Heterodyne…and failed."

Agatha and Harry watched Klaus. He seemed earnest in what he wanted. The grey-haired man finally said, softly, even pleadingly, "Agatha…do not think you need rescuing from me. You are Bill Heterodyne's child, and if my suspicions are correct, you were raised by Punch and Judy, two of the best _people_ I ever knew. And they did so away from your mother and her damnable family. I won't deny that you will be guarded and watched, that I am a ruthless man, but I try to be fair, I try to be just."

After a moment, Agatha looked the Baron in the eye. "Like you were with Dr Beetle? He may have done something appallingly dangerous and stupid with that Hive Engine, but…"

"I didn't want him dead. Agatha…given time, I will bring you to Castle Heterodyne. You can become the next ruler of Mechanicsburg."

"As your puppet?"

"As my _ally_. You would only be under my control to learn statecraft, something I am teaching my son. I owe Bill and Barry much. If you had shown more signs of being like your mother, I would have put you into custody, or perhaps even killed you outright. Even now, I stand to lose more by trusting you than I do in killing you. But I think this gamble is worth it. I am under no illusions about what you think of me, Agatha. I'm under no illusions how most of Europe views me. But at least consider my offer. I…" The door opened, and a Lackya entered, and bowed. "What's the matter?!" Klaus snapped irritably.

"My apologies, Herr Baron, but Captain DuPree has brought back some unusual people after her patrol. She is acting…somewhat strangely. But the people with her are looking for Harry Potter, I believe. I came as soon as I heard," the footman Construct said.

"DuPree, acting strangely?" Klaus asked. "In what way?"

"…Rather distracted and dull, not like her usual…shall we say cheerfully homicidal self? I would say some sort of mental influence, but…"

"Shit, the Imperius," Harry hissed.

"The what?" Klaus asked.

"Look, long story short, I have magic, and unless these people are Adam and Lilith, they have it too. And the Imperius is basically a mind-control spell, it's illegal back home. But this terrorist group, they loved using it. Sometimes you can tell when it's being used, sometimes you can't."

"These people, describe them!" Klaus snapped at the Lackya.

"One was dressed all in black robes, with dark greasy hair and a prominent nose, as well as a bad attitude. There was another who, frankly, looked like a badly-made Construct, with this creepy blue artificial eye. And there's another one, old, very long beard, and wearing rather garish robes. That one looked like some pantomime wizard out of some play."

Harry couldn't believe it. Well, he could believe the first part. That sounded like Snape, aka the biggest grudge-holder in the multiverse. But was that Moody and Dumbledore he heard being described? Was he being rescued? Hermione's letter suggested otherwise.

"You know these people?" Klaus demanded of Harry, noticing his expression.

"I think so. Severus Snape, my old teacher and all-round arsehole, Mad-Eye Moody, former Auror, well, policeman, and Albus Dumbledore, my former headmaster. But why would they use the Imperius, unless…Baron…get the Clanks to cover them when they come in. I've got a very bad feeling about this."

Klaus, after a moment, said, "Clanks, when those accompanying Captain DuPree come in, cover them. Possible hostiles protocol. Save for you," he said, pointing to one of them. "You will cover Potter."

"ACKNOWLEDGED," grated the Clanks in unison.

Boris hurried over. "Are you sure, Herr Baron?"

"No, I am not. There is much about this situation I don't know about. Magic indeed," he sneered. "And yet, if this boy is capable of paralysing a Jäger and Von Pinn with his abilities, then subverting others may be possible. That's why I have the Clank aiming at Potter."

"Oh, thank you," Harry said sarcastically. "Service with a smile."

"And there's one other thing. If he had such abilities, why hasn't he used them to take control of me, or kill me?" Klaus pointed out.

"Because you haven't tried to kill me or Agatha…and Moloch," Harry said. "And you're being reasonable. Seriously, if you went into Slytherin, you'd eat them alive."

Klaus seemed about to ask what Harry meant, when the door opened, and a beautiful young woman of Indian appearance, wearing a white coat and trousers, along with a red jumper that did little to hide her figure, a bindi in the shape of a skull on her forehead. Her dark eyes, however, were unfocused. And she was followed by Snape, Moody, and Dumbledore.

Whatever happened to them wasn't good, Harry thought. Moody had accumulated more scars, if such a thing was possible. Dumbledore had an artificial arm made apparently out of gold. And scars ran down the side of Snape's face.

And Harry knew, given the way they were looking at him, that his odd instinct was correct. Whatever their reasons for coming here, his health was definitely not a priority. Dumbledore still had his twinkling eyes, but there was something there he didn't like. Snape was sneering even worse than usual, but his mouth had an edge of malicious glee to it. Moody, however, frowned, his magical eye fixed on Harry's forehead. "There's no Horcrux in the scar anymore."

Dumbledore frowned, before he reached for his wand, only for the Clanks to bark, "DO NOT MOVE."

"My dear fellow…I presume that you are in charge here?" Dumbledore asked.

"You could say that," Klaus said. "Who are you, and what have you done to Captain DuPree?"

"This Muggle wouldn't cooperate with us. In fact, she tried to cut me up," Snape sneered.

"More than you deserve, Snivellus," Harry retorted.

"How dare you…" Snape began, only for Klaus to glare at him.

"Remove it immediately."

"I don't take orders from a Muggle," Snape sneered. "I don't care if he doesn't have a Horcrux. Let's kill the brat and be done with it!"

To Harry's dismay, Dumbledore nodded, slashing his wand through the air, and sending the Clanks flying. With an air of perversely genuine sadness, he said, "I'm sorry, my dear boy…but the Wizarding World has you as a symbol of hope, a martyr…and martyrs cannot come back from the dead…"

 **CHAPTER 6 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Oh shit. Harry's in trouble.**

 **Now, in case any** ** _Girl Genius_** **fans take issue with me portraying Klaus as being, well, too nice, allow me to explain. Having figured it out early, Klaus confronts her directly, and when he learns that she was ignorant of her heritage until very recently, he realises that she is a relative innocent abroad. I took elements of his speech in this chapter from his speech to the Lucrezia-possessed Agatha (unbeknownst to him at the time) later in the series. And because Klaus actually thought about it a little before coming down here, he's trying to be reasonable. He's still worried about the possibility of Agatha having some of The Other's traits, but he wants to give her a chance. Plus, he doesn't know about the time windows yet, and when Bang comes along and discusses them, well, he's still going to give Agatha the benefit of the doubt, or at least be less antagonistic.**

 **I actually considered doing a** ** _Girl Genius_** **AU where Agatha manages to overcome Lucrezia briefly when confronted by Klaus, so Klaus avoids getting Wasped, albeit barely. Agatha also manages to warn him about Lucrezia in her head, so while Klaus still has issues with her, it's no longer 'kill Agatha'. I'll never do that AU now, but that thought had me doing this scene. Klaus may not necessarily be a good man, but he tries to do good. And here, he is as much Agatha and Harry's ally as he is an enemy.**

 **Part of the reason why he reveals his suspicions on who The Other is is to try and fish for a reaction from Agatha. While he still cannot dismiss the possibility she may still be Lucrezia's proxy, he's giving her the benefit of the doubt. For now.**

 **The arrival of the various Potterverse characters was something I did previously for my** ** _Final Fantasy VII_** **crossover** ** _Vert the Emerald and the Cetra Heritage_** **(plug, plug), though I had this in mind more or less from the beginning, to add a new faction to stir things up in the** ** _Girl Genius_** **universe. Some of you seemed bemused by it, enthused, or just plain annoyed. I say, deal with it. That being said, some people claimed that Dobby will be here. Sadly, he won't be: he's dead.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Tamha** **: Dumbledore wants to be sure that Voldemort is dead…and frankly, given what you saw above, Harry's survival wasn't on the cards either.**

 **Lexarius** **: Harry will be astonished by a few things, but most of the Muses he will be more interested in than astonished by. Ditto Zeetha, who will rope him into Agatha's training regime.**

 **Jostanos** **: Thankfully for your sanity, none of the others you mentioned will appear, as they're all dead or not able to come to the Girl Genius-verse.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	8. Chapter 7: Enemies and Friends from the

**CHAPTER 7:**

 **ENEMIES AND FRIENDS FROM THE PAST**

Whatever happened next was not what they were expecting. With a yowl, a familiar large white cat leapt down from the pipes festooning the ceiling and attacked Snape, clawing at his already-scarred face. Dumbledore whirled at the distraction, in time for a pocket watch-sized Clank to leap down and kick him in the eye. At that, DuPree shook her head, and whirled to face the wizards. "Oh, you bastards," she said with a vicious grin, before she slashed at Moody with a sword, slicing the man's wand in half. "I'm gonna mince you guys up so fine, the worms won't have to chew(1)…"

Snape tore the cat away from his face and flung him away, the cat landing near Agatha, trying to wipe the blood out of his eyes. Oddly enough, the cat got to his feet…his hind legs, just like a normal person, and snarled, glaring at Snape with his green eyes, "Don't you ever wash your hair?!"

Klaus looked at him, startled, before he muttered, "Dr Vanpoople's failed experiment…so you've been in hiding, Krosp…DuPree, disarm them and take them alive. Intact is optional."

"Yessir!" DuPree cheered, before kicking Moody as hard as she could in the balls. The rattle and the lack of pain made the Indian pirate frown. "Hey! Have you got wooden balls or something?"

Moody didn't reply, only sending her flying with a Banishing Charm. To her credit, DuPree flipped off the wall she was blasted towards, and charged at him, pulling out a pistol and shooting him in the good leg rather than the false one. DuPree did the same to Dumbledore, and then to Snape.

On a thought, Harry said, " _Accio_ , Portkeys." A number of objects zoomed from their clothes and into Harry's hands. He then tossed them into a nearby vat of glowing green liquid, whereupon there was a hiss as they dissolved.

"And what were those?" Klaus asked.

"Portkeys. Instant teleportation via enchanted object," Harry said. "Though they can also Apparate, so…" There were a trio of loud cracks, and the three wizards were gone. "Yeah. Maybe I shouldn't have reminded them."

"DuPree," Klaus said, as the small Clank that had attacked Dumbledore toddled over to Agatha. "Considering that they somehow subverted you with unknown abilities…"

"Magic," Harry said pointedly.

"Will-based Transmogrification Force," Agatha corrected as the Clank climbed up her clothes and perched on her shoulder.

After a moment, Klaus said, "What she said. Magic indeed. In any case, I want descriptions circulated to our spies and our soldiers. They are extremely dangerous, as you saw."

"Eh, the guy with the weird eye was okay, I guess, but the old fart and the greasy-haired bastard weren't so tough. They got the drop on me, that's all. Anyway, I'll circulate descriptions like you want. But can I play with them when we catch them?"

"I'll think about it."

 _Oh Merlin, it's Bellatrix Lestrange if she was an Indian pirate queen_ , Harry thought despondently to himself.

DuPree then peered at Agatha, Harry, and Moloch, before muttering, "Hey…you guys look familiar." As Klaus wheeled to face them, she continued, "Yeah, I saw these weird…well, windows open up in space. These guys were there, and Gil was there, dressed a bit like one of those ghost ladies, and there was another girl there."

"Ghost ladies?" Harry asked.

"Geisterdamen," Moloch said, his eyes wide in fear at being so close to the woman who had attacked him. "Women with pale skin and hair, and unearthly beauty. Known for riding giant spiders. Nobody knows where they come from, only that they're dangerous. They roam the Wastelands."

"I've never heard of them," Agatha said.

"I doubt you would have," Klaus said. "They rarely venture into towns, to my knowledge. DuPree, I'll ask about those windows in space later. How did those men end up on your ship?"

"They were flying on broomsticks, would you believe? They boarded the airship, and asked to be taken to you, as they wanted to find this brat called Harry Potter, and thought you might have heard of something. Anyway, that greasy-haired guy, Snape, was it? He got too mouthy, called me a filthy Muggle or something, sounded racist, and when I tried to neuter him, that old fart did something to me, took control of my mind. Seriously, it was freaky, I wanted to do his bidding. You know, like how some minions automatically say yes to a Spark? Felt like I was high on something too. Anyway, you pretty much know the rest. When I asked about where you were when I arrived, they told me, and, well, you know the rest."

"The Imperius Curse," Harry supplied. "Makes people want to do their bidding. It's one of three forbidden curses back home. The other two are the Cruciatus Curse, which is a torture curse, and the Killing Curse, which is instant death if you don't have something solid between you and it…or you don't dodge."

"Do they say something like 'abracadabra'? Only, I remember the greasy-haired one doing that to one of my crew," DuPree said, scowling. "Saw a jet of green light hit him, and down he goes, like he was shot, only no bullet hole."

"Yes, that's it, exactly, though they say _Avada Kedavra_. I'm the only person to survive being hit by it back home, and I can't take the credit for that."

"The more I hear about this Will-based Transmogrification Force, the less I like it," Klaus said grimly. He looked over at Harry. "And why would they want to kill you?"

"That's what I want to know! Snape I hated, but while I hated how Dumbledore kept secrets from me, I didn't think either he or Moody would try to kill me! They said I was thought dead back home, so…" The sheer force of the betrayal suddenly hit Harry, and he staggered back, leaning against a bench, Agatha on him in a flash as he began to weep quietly.

After a moment, Klaus said, "The scarred one, Moody, mentioned something called a Horcrux in your scar."

"News to me…though it used to get painful when I was near Voldemort. A wizard terrorist, the one who murdered my parents and tried to kill me," Harry muttered through the tears. "It hasn't hurt since I got here, and after I turned back from an owl…"

"Wait, what?" Moloch, Boris, and DuPree chorused.

"…Well, I saw the scar had faded. I remember it being so painful when I first came here to this world. I used to have a mental link to Voldemort, I could see things he could see. Maybe that's what he meant, though…it's like I'd have to die normally to remove it…" Harry's eyes widened when he came to a realisation. "And he KNEW! THAT OLD BASTARD **KNEW** I HAD THAT THING IN ME! WHY DID I HAVE TO DIE BECAUSE OF THAT THING IN MY HEAD?! I…" Suddenly, his rant was cut off by Agatha pressing her lips to his own.

It wasn't a kiss of love or lust per se. But it was one of affection, a brief one designed to get his brain to reboot. As she broke away, Harry stared at her in shock, a slightly goofy smile on his tear-streaked face.

The moment was ruined when DuPree remarked, "Hey, that kid was going on a pretty impressive rant there. Sure he ain't a Spark?"

"No. And kissing generally doesn't bring you out of the Madness Place," Klaus said.

"Have you tried it?" DuPree asked cheekily.

"Actually, _yes_. I have been the lover of one Spark, the husband of another, I am one myself, and I know for a fact that kissing either enrages or encourages Sparks in the Madness Place," Klaus said wearily. After a moment, he noticed the Clank perched on Agatha's shoulder. "That's odd. Whose Clank is that?"

The Clank itself pointed to Agatha, who looked bemused. Moloch's eyes widened in realisation. "That must've been what you were working on earlier."

"I did? I must've slipped back into Sleepsparking earlier. Thank goodness I stayed clothed," Agatha muttered. "This is my Clank?"

"Remarkable," Klaus murmured. "And it already has enough intelligence not only to recognise you as its creator, but it attacked Dumbledore in defence of either yourself or Potter, or both. Your Spark is advancing significantly, Agatha. Hardly surprising, given your heritage. Still, I have to wonder at how we're going to deal with you and your…" His lips curled into a brief sneer at the word. "… _wizard_ friend."

"So, what're you going to do, lock me up?" Harry asked irritably.

"Nothing so pedestrian. After all, who's to say you don't have an ability to unlock doors?" Klaus must have noted Harry's wince, because he said, "I thought so. But it seems that you two hold each other's fates in your hands, so, as reluctant as I am to do so, I will have to have you as hostages for each other's good behaviour until I can be sure I can trust both of you absolutely. You will tell me everything I need to know about your people and their abilities, Potter, because I want to make sure something like this does not happen again!"

He had a point, really. But Harry's anti-authoritarian streak, plus his already aggravated temper, pushed him to boiling point. "Don't push me around, Baron. If I didn't let a bloody terrorist who wanted me dead do that, what makes you think that a dictator over most of Europe would be any different? Plus, I've just nearly been murdered by someone who claimed he did things for my own good. I don't have trust issues as much as a bloody subscription. And Agatha's guardians said we couldn't trust you."

Klaus flinched at the thought. "I always thought highly of Punch and Judy, along with Bill and Barry. If they truly did not trust me, then perhaps it is with good reason. Maybe they thought, because of my prior closeness to Lucrezia, that I was under her influence. But I need to know these things to protect my empire!"

"You know what'd be better?" Harry asked, a desperate idea occurring to him, if only to buy time. "They're after me, and only me. You let me go, and I can draw them away."

"And leave me here?!" Agatha demanded. "No way!"

"Hmm. While your suggestion has merit, Potter, I am no stranger to danger, given my position," Klaus said. "And your abilities merit further study. And no, before you ask, not by vivisection. I would prefer not to harm a goose laying golden eggs, especially as you are key to keeping a Heterodyne on my side. I am just curious about how Will-based Transmogrification Force would work."

Harry chuckled ruefully. That idea had gone out of the window. He moved closer to Agatha, while picking the cat, Krosp, up carefully. "And you know what curiosity killed, hey?" Harry asked Krosp.

The cat scoffed. "I'd like to think of myself as more prudent than that. Do you mind putting me down?"

"I dunno. Would you mind perching on my shoulder for a bit?"

"…Acceptable," Krosp said, clambering onto said shoulder.

"In any case, Baron," Harry said, pulling out the letter from Hermione, "I'm a little leery of working with someone like you. Call it past experience or being quixotic against dictators."

Agatha nodded, holding onto the letter, as did Moloch. "Baron…I want to work with you as an ally…but I'm going to do it on my terms. If you're telling the truth about my mother…and she's still around…I'll gladly work with you to stop her. But I trust Adam and Lilith…no, Punch and Judy more than I do you. I'm sorry."

"Athena!" Harry called out, and suddenly, Harry, Agatha, Moloch, Krosp, and the little Clank felt hooks dig into their navels, yanking them away…

* * *

Klaus looked at where they once were. Part of him was annoyed that he hadn't realised they were preparing an escape. Part of him was impressed: near instant teleportation using an object like a letter. And he also had to admit, he was saddened. Saddened because the last known legacy of Bill and Barry Heterodyne had left him, because she couldn't trust him. The feeling was mutual: his trust only went so far due to her mother.

 _I'm sorry, too_ , he thought. _But I can't let an untried Heterodyne heir run loose. I've worked too hard to achieve this barely-stable peace to let you spoil it. Especially with these so-called wizards coming after your friend_.

"Boris, Dupree. Circulate descriptions of those three, plus the Construct Krosp," Klaus said out loud. "They are wanted alive, and unharmed, understand, DuPree? And I mean it! Agatha Heterodyne, who will be called Agatha Clay on any documentation, and Harry Potter, are to be brought in alive and well! And harming von Zinzer or Krosp may cause more harm than good, so avoid killing them too, yes?"

DuPree sighed. "Fine, fine, suck the joy outta things, why don't you?"

"And make sure she is called Agatha Clay!" Klaus barked. "If we make it known that a possible Heterodyne is running around unchecked, we will have plotters coming out of the woodwork, and while that may bring them out of the shadows, it may have them accelerate plans I don't know of, and won't see until it's too late! No mention of either parent! Standing orders will be to use C-Gas on sight or other non-lethal means to subdue them."

Boris nodded. "Yes, Herr Baron. The Jägers and Von Pinn seem inordinately interested in Miss Heterodyne. What do we tell them?"

"We tell the Jägers nothing of her origins, only that she escaped. We cannot risk a conflict of loyalties. I'm sure they suspect the truth anyway: they can smell someone of Heterodyne heritage, that's probably how they suspect it. As for Von Pinn…" Klaus considered it. While Von Pinn was a good, if frightening, nursemaid and guard for the children here, he did have other people who could fill the same role. And Von Pinn, being a former nursemaid created by Lucrezia Mongfish and loyal to the Heterodynes rather than Lucrezia (Klaus had heard rumours that Von Pinn had been created using the remains of a number of Lucrezia's relatives, which would explain the enmity(2)), would seek, locate, and retrieve Agatha. Probably injure her in the process, but hopefully, he could explain to Von Pinn that he needed them intact. Telling Von Pinn about Agatha's heritage was risky, but potentially worth it.

"Von Pinn will be sent to track down the girl for retrieval alive and intact, along with her allies," Klaus decided. "Independently of you, DuPree. I know how you two are around each other."

"Just 'cause Little Miss S&M doesn't have any sense of humour known to modern science…" DuPree remarked, rolling her eyes.

"I mean it!" Klaus snapped. "This is _important_ , DuPree! There is too much at stake here! We must track down Agatha Heterodyne and Harry Potter before they cause any chaos!"

* * *

"Ugh, what the hell was that?" Moloch asked, holding his head and shaking it.

"Portkey," Harry said, helping Agatha to her feet. "An object enchanted to teleport someone to a particular destination. Which is pretty much the middle of nowhere." Which indeed they were, in the middle of a rather dense forest.

"It's official," Agatha moaned. "Portkeys are NOT something I want to use often."

"Seconded," Krosp growled, and the Clank on Agatha's shoulder made a series of clicks that seemed to indicate agreement.

"Yeah, well, crappy though that was, I wouldn't say no to one out of here," Moloch muttered. "We're in the Wastelands. Miles away from anywhere. We're in danger."

"Yes, but less than you'd think if we stick together."

The voice was familiar to Agatha and Harry, the former of whom ran to meet the owner, who had just pushed her way through some nearby bushes. "Lilith!" Agatha yelled, throwing her arms around the Construct. Then, after a brief hug, she broke it off, and looked at her. "Or are you really Judy?"

The Construct winced. "You figured it out?"

"Harry guessed. I'm kicking myself for not realising it…and who my parents were. I can still call you Judy?"

"Away from any prying ears, yes. So you know? That your last name is actually Heterodyne?"

Agatha nodded. "And the Baron knows. He…he tried to make me an offer, that I would ally myself with him, and after enough time and trust, he would have me take my place at Mechanicsburg…even though he thinks my mother…is The Other. Did you know that?"

Lilith…no, Judy, looked at Agatha for a time, before nodding. "Barry told us. Not even he knew at first."

"Wulfenbach seemed to be hurt that you didn't trust him," Harry said. "He thought it might have been due to his being a former lover of Lucrezia or something…"

"Never mind about that. The one advantage of this is that Klaus won't dare expose your true identity, for fear of stirring up rebellion. That can work to our advantage," Judy said. "Anyway, come on. We were moving just when we heard you coming here…"

* * *

Judy led them to a clearing, where Harry saw a number of familiar faces. There was Adam, well, Punch, of course, but there were the familiar red hair of the Weasley Twins, who looked a bit more solemn than usual, the careworn features of Remus Lupin, the pink-haired Tonks, the bearded face of Sirius Black…and a familiar head of bushy hair, belonging to none other than Hermione. Sitting on her shoulder was the familiar form of Fawkes, Dumbledore's Phoenix…well, former Phoenix, in all likelihood.

When they made their way through, the wizards aimed their wands at him. "What's your Patronus?" Hermione demanded.

"It was a stag…though given what my Animagus form is like, it may not be anymore," Harry said ruefully. "Bloody hell…you're alive…I didn't…I didn't…" A dam of emotions collapsed, and so too did Harry, sagging to his knees, crying. While he was before, now, it was even more than ever. And Agatha, soon followed by Hermione and Sirius, were on him, embracing him, as he underwent a catharsis…

 **CHAPTER 7 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, there you have it. Dumbledore, Snape and Moody want Harry dead…but he's found his allies on this world. But will Klaus leave them alone? Yeah, no.**

 **Now, why did Harry and Agatha reject Klaus' offer? Leaving aside the reasons above, keep in mind that Harry and Agatha know him best as a dictator of Europe. They're not sure whether to trust him and his reasons, even if he was telling the truth. Harry has had bad experience with would-be dictators and people controlling him, and Agatha is still sore about Dr Beetle. They won't necessarily be enemies, but they won't be allies anytime soon either. Plus, they're still teenagers, and a bit moody. Plus, Harry has his anger issues, and Agatha has just unleashed her Spark. That's clouded their objectivity a tad.**

 **That being said, they're not going to ignore what Klaus claimed about Lucrezia, or about the chaos they could cause if Agatha declared herself. And unlike the events of the webcomic, the fact that Agatha is a Heterodyne hasn't been heard by the students. Gil will probably learn about it, though. I have plans for him.**

 **Review-answering time!** **PhaseHand** **: While I normally would not consider such a suggestion, as I don't like taking unsolicited ideas from other people, your idea intrigues me, and I may seriously consider doing it. Though given Bill and Barry's distaste for the Castle, why would they send Agatha there? Assuming it's them who do so, anyway…**

 **Lexarius** **: Thanks for your kind words regarding Klaus' portrayal. While I think I've portrayed him as softer than in canon, I'd like to think there are good reasons for it, and he's still a fairly ruthless pragmatist as in canon. However, unlike in canon, I intend for him to work alongside Agatha as an ally.**

 **That being said, you did overestimate me: I had no intentions of Dumbledore and company being The Other's minions…though your review may ensure that that changes in the future.**

 **1\. This is my appropriation of a quote from the** ** _Red Dwarf_** **episode** ** _Gunmen of the Apocalypse_** **.**

 **2\. This is one of the theories circulating around the origins of Von Pinn's body (given how her mind is explained later in the series), and I find it the most plausible, considering that Von Pinn's Construct body looks a lot like Lucrezia herself (something noted in-universe), and she's certainly nasty enough to turn her relatives into a Construct.**


	9. Chapter 8: Reunion

**CHAPTER 8:**

 **REUNION**

Agatha looked at the travelling companions her guardians had managed to pick up as they traipsed through the forest, once Harry had come back to his senses. Two older men, two younger men (obviously twins), a younger woman whose features and hair colour seemed to shift, and a bushy-haired girl about her age, and Harry's. The darker-haired man was Sirius Black, while the tawny-haired, scarred man was Remus Lupin. The redheads were the Weasley Twins, Fred and George. The younger woman was Nymphadora Tonks, though she hated her first name. And the bushy-haired girl was Hermione Granger. And there was the magnificent flame-coloured bird that was Fawkes the Phoenix.

"We came across them when we were forced to leave Beetleburg," Judy explained. "When they mentioned Harry, well, we nearly had a confrontation about it. We were following Castle Wulfenbach from the ground, until Hermione had the idea to send Fawkes to you. Because I wanted to rescue you both, Hermione suggested the Portkey."

"Thanks, Hermione," Agatha said, smiling at the bushy-haired girl. "Harry told me a little bit about you last night, about your adventures."

Hermione smiled back. "And thanks for looking after him, Agatha. He's a bit of a handful."

"How many, Hermione? How many died?" Harry asked.

"Too many. It's best if we wait until we take a break before we give you the details," Hermione said.

"The Weasleys? Ron, Ginny, their parents?" Harry insisted.

"…Ron died taking out Draco and his father," Hermione admitted. "Ginny…was tortured into a catatonia by Bellatrix Lestrange, and Molly took Lestrange down with her. Arthur's still alive, as are Bill and Fleur, not to mention Charlie. Percy got executed by the Death Eaters in revenge for his family's defiance of Voldemort."

Agatha could tell that the deaths hit Harry hard. Then, he asked, "Hermione, another thing…Dumbledore, Snape and Mad-Eye Moody infiltrated Castle Wulfenbach and tried to kill me. Moody said something about a Horcrux being out of my scar. What the hell was that? Was that a connection to Voldemort?"

"In a way," Sirius said, his voice a low growl. "We checked ourselves. A Horcrux is…a phylactery. A fragment of a soul placed into an object to ensure a wizard's immortality. Voldemort split his soul a ridiculous amount of times. Dumbledore finally admitted that he knew that Voldemort accidentally created a Horcrux that lodged in your scar on that night you survived the Killing Curse. He claimed the only way to get rid of it was to kill you."

"Well, he said something about needing me to stay a martyr," Harry said.

"There's more to it than that," Sirius said. "Word on the grapevine from Gringotts is that he tried to claim your estate, as you left no will, and he was your magical guardian. Imagine his shock, and ours, when we learned you were still alive. The Goblins had better means of telling you were alive than Dumbledore did. Dumbledore lost a lot of support in the Order of the Phoenix, but he still has considerable sway in Magical Britain in general, given that he defeated Voldemort for good."

"He was missing an arm," Agatha mused.

"He had to remove it to get rid of a curse," Remus said. "He had found one of the Deathly Hallows, powerful artifacts on our world. Which reminds me, Harry…" He took something from Sirius, and handed it over to Harry. To Agatha's eyes, it looked like a silvery cloak, almost liquid in its folds. To Harry, it clearly meant a lot, as a sad smile came over his face.

Though he did ask, "Deathly Hallows?"

"The Cloak of Invisibility, the one you hold, was supposedly given to one of your ancestors by Death," Remus explained. "Dumbledore used to possess the Elder Wand…well, until Hermione defeated him."

"Hey, I just hit him with a stone when he tried to stop us from leaving and stole his wand. How was I to know it was the Elder Wand?" Hermione asked.

"And the one that was cursed, on top of being a Horcrux, was the Resurrection Stone, which can bring the souls of the dead back, albeit as insubstantial shades," Remus said. "Anyway, Dumbledore, Snape, and Moody are our enemies. Moody only went along with them because he wanted to make sure Voldemort was dead for good. And frankly, so did we, but we were going to find a non-lethal way of removing the Horcrux. At least that's a moot point."

"Can they track us?" Agatha asked.

"No. Point Me spells towards humans and living beings only work at short range," Tonks said. "And with Fawkes working with us…well, he's able to track virtually anything, even across other worlds. He ferried us across, two at a time. That's when Dumbledore lost the Elder Wand to Hermione."

"Where are we headed, anyway?" Harry asked.

"Eventually? To Mechanicsburg," Judy said. "Fawkes apparently needs either someone to home in on that he knows, or else a clear mental picture of his destination, so we can't use him to get there sooner. Even a photo won't help."

"Great," Krosp remarked. "So the feather duster can't help us as much as we'd like, huh?"

"Sorry," Hermione said. "You know, you're the first talking cat I've met. I wish you could've met Crookshanks."

"If that's another cat, I don't really like their company," Krosp said. "I was created to have authority over them, be the Emperor of Cats, use them as spies, messengers and infiltrators. But do you know how short a cat's attention span is?! Or how difficult it is for them to grasp complex concepts?! Any I give orders to are all gung-ho until they fall asleep or see something moving! Ugh, it's frustrating! It was a stupid idea, and frankly, I was scheduled for being put down because I was too much of an embarrassment to leave alive."

"Well, you've got us now," Agatha said reassuringly.

"Even so," Moloch said, "we've got quite a way to go. The Wastelands are bloody dangerous, and if we're headed for Mechanicsburg…well, you know what Castle Heterodyne is like."

"Actually, I don't," Agatha said. "I mean, I heard it has a bad reputation, and the Baron threatened Merlot with it, and he was scared, but I don't know why, exactly."

Judy sighed quietly. "Even before The Other attacked, the Castle was known for having a somewhat malevolent sense of humour."

"Wait, it's alive?" Harry demanded.

"Yes. In very simplified terms, it's a massive Clank, though that's a gross oversimplification. Hermione, when I described it to her, called it an artificial intelligence, which is a good term," Judy explained. "But when The Other attacked, it splintered and fragmented the intelligence of the Castle, as well as heavily damaging it."

Moloch nodded grimly. "The Baron basically uses it as a penal colony, especially for Sparks, mechanics and 'normal' scientists and engineers. From what I heard, you're sent in with a sentence of so many years, and you get years off by repairing parts of the Castle. It's part of a deal Wulfenbach made with the Castle's sentience. It's slow going: the Castle was a known deathtrap even before The Other attacked."

"And the fragmented intelligences can't communicate with each other, so the more sane parts have no way of telling the more insane or malevolent parts to keep the inmates safe," Judy said. "Getting the Castle to acknowledge you will be dangerous, to say the least."

"The Baron said something about fake Heterodyne heirs being used to try and claim the Castle," Harry said. "If they got wind of Agatha's existence, she could be in danger."

"We can trust Klaus to keep her existence quiet because of those fake heirs," Judy said. "But on other matters…I'm worried."

"Why?" Agatha asked.

"Barry found out two disturbing things. The first is that infection by Slaver Wasp is normally asymptomatic."

"…What?" Agatha asked. "Do you mean that there are Revenants amongst us, and they don't look like them?"

"Yes. Which means Klaus' army could already be compromised. The second is even more disturbing. He thinks your mother created a special kind of Slaver Wasp, or at least designed it, one that can potentially infect Sparks. Slaver Wasps normally can't infect Sparks or Jägers. Our best hope in getting to Mechanicsburg now is to find a contact of ours called Jenka."

"Jenka?" Agatha asked.

"Jenka is a Jäger who acts as a spy for Heterodyne interests. When not acting as a Jäger, she actually can pass for a human easily. We've sent a message to her via Fawkes a few days ago, and she said she will meet us at Zumzum, as she has errands to run. She's also one of the smarter Jägers who isn't a general, hence her role as a spy. She also has three Jägers under her, colloquially called 'Da Boyz', Maxim, Ognian, and Dimo. They are 'wild' Jägers, not in the Baron's forces. Though to be frank, the Jägers are only serving the Baron until a Heterodyne claims Mechanicsburg."

"Another reason for the Baron to not want Agatha to claim it, then," Harry mused. "He loses a good chunk of his army."

"Oh, he can survive that, but losing the Jägers would be a red flag to his enemies," Judy said. "Which is why I want to get Agatha to claim her birthright as quickly as possible. As much as Barry didn't trust him, the Baron has admittedly stabilised Europe, and there are rebellious elements who don't care what chaos they cause, as long as they come out on top…"

* * *

Sometime later, they set up camp for the night. Eventually, Harry steeled himself for what he needed to ask. "…How many more died?"

Hermione shook her head, allowing Krosp to sit in her lap. "Too many."

"Neville? Luna?"

"…They survived. And married. In fact, they, along with Bill and Fleur, are looking elsewhere in this world," Hermione said with a sad smile, one which fell. "But my parents…Hagrid, McGonagall, Sprout…and Dobby…he died saving us while we were looking for the Horcruxes."

By this point, Harry was somewhat numb to the litany of the dead. He couldn't even cry. "If it makes you feel any better, Harry," Tonks said, "that cow Umbridge got hers. So did the Dursleys. And Pettigrew."

Oddly enough, it did, even if only a tiny bit. But another question came to mind. "Do we have to go back?"

Hermione, after a time, shook her head. "We're not going to take you back if you don't want to. Dumbledore was right in one regard: you're a martyr, and if you come back from the dead, you're either going to be feared or lauded."

"Or first one, and then the other," Remus snarked.

"Still, Harry, you've got your knack for getting into trouble…" Fred said.

"…And your knack for getting out of it," George finished.

"Truly, you are a son of the Marauders!" they chorused.

"Yeesh, if you were a Spark, you'd already have ready-made minions in those two," Krosp remarked.

"We are but humble emulators of the Marauders," Fred retorted.

"Indeed, whereas Harry is pranking royalty, being born of Prongs!" George said. "And you stand in the presence of Padfoot and Moony, the last survivors of the Marauders."

"And you are in the presence of Krosp, Emperor of Cats," Krosp retorted back. "I can brag about things too." He then indicated Punch and Judy. "Those two there, though, they're probably the two most famous Constructs in the world. Well, unless you count Baron Wulfenbach."

"Huh? He's a Construct?" Agatha asked.

"Technically, yes," Judy said. "The Wulfenbachs had three heirs, but they all died in a laboratory experiment. Their remains were combined and resurrected. Normally, that would exclude him from being an heir, but the Wulfenbachs haven't been about following rules anyway. It's something of an open secret(1). That being said, we are the more famous Constructs, if only because we are acknowledged as such…and in the Heterodyne Boys stories as comic relief." Judy scowled. "Neither of us are that stupid or bumbling."

"I know, Judy. And despite you keeping secrets from me, I'm grateful to you for raising me," Agatha said.

"And you have grown into a fine young woman, Agatha. Your father and uncle would be proud," Judy said. She looked at the little Clank perched on Agatha's shoulder, and smiled. "And your first true Clank. It's cute."

"Thanks. Though I have to ask…what's that humming thing I do while I'm doing things?"

"Heterodyning," Judy explained. "It's a family trait, a sort of humming meant to help the mind focus, as well as block out distractions." Her face fell. "Given the reputation the family has, I wouldn't be surprised if part of it was to block out screams of pain during the more grotesque experiments."

Sirius nodded. "From what Judy explained to us, the Heterodyne family has a reputation much like my own. Your father and uncle worked hard to rehabilitate it. They remind me a lot of James and, well, yours truly and Moony."

"In any case, Agatha, we'll try to get to Zumzum as soon as we can," Judy said. "With the… _wizards_ providing support using Apparition, we can make better time. If we do find travellers we can travel with, though, we'll stick with them. There's safety in numbers."

They nodded. It was something of an eclectic group, gathered from two different worlds, but they were united. And they didn't intend to let anything stand in the way…

 **CHAPTER 8 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Well, there you go. The Heterodyne-Potter Party has been formed! Next chapter (which may be a little while coming after this veritable flood of chapters) will be something of a timeskip to the first meeting with Master Payne's Circus of Adventure.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Lexarius** **: True, but remember, Othar has a bad habit of escaping.**

 **PhaseHand** **: Moody's wooden balls are purely ornamental in nature.**

 **Guest** **: Oh, he would have if Snape actually became a threat, but between Krosp and Bang owning him, he didn't.**

 **1\. The Foglios actually confirmed this (outside of the comic and the novels), though it's hinted by the ridiculous amount of scars Klaus has, even though those might be due to his lifestyle.**


	10. Chapter 9: The Circus of Dreams

**CHAPTER 9:**

 **THE CIRCUS OF DREAMS**

 _A few days later_ …

The little expedition had been making its way through the Wastelands for a few days now. Agatha, after stumbling across the wreckage of some old Clanks, had pulled them apart and used the components to make weapons, keeping the biggest one, a death ray, for herself. Not that the wizards needed death rays: with their wands, they could pretty much do the same thing. And Adam could use a bag filled with rivets as makeshift bullets, as he could flick them with his hands at whatever speed he chose: he could wind someone with a rivet to the stomach at low speed, or else punch a hole through their head like a pistol round. That being said, it didn't hurt to have backup weapons, and Harry accepted a raygun pistol from Agatha.

Once they had gotten used to each other, Hermione and Agatha turned out to be, unsurprisingly, kindred spirits. Agatha probably learned more about magic (well, Will-based Transmogrification Force to her) from Hermione than she could from Harry. Hermione even managed to explain what little she admittedly knew about magic's possible origins to the blonde Spark, though terms like zero-point energy or virtual particles went over Harry's head.

And being a cat person, Hermione naturally gravitated to Krosp as well, Crookshanks having been killed by Pettigrew in retaliation for the cat pursuing him in Third Year (and Hedwig, sadly, going the same way). After Agatha made a facetious remark about 'serving the King of the Cats', Krosp took her seriously enough to declare them his subjects…and thus under his protection, or what he could give, anyway. The sardonic feline Construct had a high opinion of himself, but he was utterly serious about helping them. Especially after what happened to his creator: Vanpoople was one of those subjected to the Baron's experimental neurosurgery to try and remove the Spark, and while he succeeded, the man was reduced to a child-like state.

As it turned out, they had brought a wizarding tent with a vast interior (easily the size of a mansion) to sleep in. They also brought a trunk that also served as a makeshift prison for Remus whenever the full moon was about.

Harry came to realise that, as he spent more time with his friends from back home, they seemed to come back to life. It was as if hope and happiness had been wrung from them by the war and his disappearance, and his very presence was bringing that back. The Twins, originally so dour when he came back, were joking around again. Sirius, Remus and Tonks were happier. And so too was Hermione.

Harry also came to realise something. While he still felt affection for Hermione, he had always thought of her as being like a sister, and that hadn't really changed. She would always be his friend, but he didn't think of her as more than that. Agatha was another matter, though. He couldn't help but feel…something. If nothing more than the fact that they were the last known scions of a long and illustrious dynasty. Harry was the last of the Potters, and Agatha was the last known Heterodyne, Bill and Barry being Merlin knew where.

It was shortly thereafter that they found their first big break. They found a boy stuck in a tree, and after helping him down, they found where he got lost from: a campground belonging to a travelling show. In fact, it was a travelling Heterodyne Show. Judy asked to see the man in charge, and was led away to see someone called Master Payne.

As they waited, Agatha sighed. "I hope we don't cause any trouble," she remarked.

Someone snorted from nearby. "Only the dead cause no trouble."

The speaker was a lean, athletic-looking girl with green hair and goldish skin, wearing trousers and a vest, along with a strange headband with an adornment of a face on it, matching a sardonic expression on her otherwise pretty features. She had a pair of bladed weapons on her back, one looking like a sword with an odd hilt, the other have something more like a two-bladed weapon.

"I'm sorry, but you are?" Hermione asked.

"Zeetha, daughter of Chump. Yeah, I know what it means in your tongue."

The others introduced themselves, though Agatha was careful to give her last name as 'Clay', and she called Punch 'Adam Clay'. "You're not from around here, are you?" Remus asked.

The green-haired girl nodded. "Yeah. Though I doubt you'll have heard of where I come from. Does Skifander ring any bells?"

Harry didn't know, but judging by Agatha and Punch's looks, they did. "Skifander?" Agatha asked. "Hidden Jewel of the Warrior Queen? Guardian of the Red Mountain? Oh, I remember that!"

Zeetha's eyes widened, and she was suddenly on her feet, and gripping Agatha by the shoulders. "You know where it is?" she asked quietly.

"No…I mean, my uncle used to tell me stories, but…"

"Where is he? Please, tell me!"

"I don't know, he disappeared years ago!" Agatha protested.

Zeetha staggered back, eyes wide in disbelief, before she drew her blades, and slashed up a nearby log, screaming in frustration. To everyone's astonishment, the log was turned into sawdust in seconds, and Punch was on his feet, gently placing a meaty hand on her shoulder. Zeetha nearly attacked the hulking Construct, but he shook his head, before he pointed to her, and then indicated his head.

"I think Adam's saying he knows something…and maybe Lilith does too," Agatha said. "You'll have to wait until Lilith gets back, though. Adam can't talk."

Zeetha looked up at Punch, who nodded, and began to calm down, before sagging back down onto the log she had been seated on (not the one she slashed up). "Sorry about that. All this time, and I haven't even met anyone else who has heard of Skifander, and now, three of them turn up at once! Except one of them's a mute…no offence meant, big guy."

"What's the big deal about this Skifander place anyway?" Tonks asked.

Zeetha pursed her lips, before saying, "Well, a few years back, a Spark's expedition discovered Skifander. Well, they weren't the first ones. I think my father came from these parts. Chump's just the name he took amongst us, I don't know his real name. Anyway, when the explorers were going to head back here, my mother, Queen Zantabraxis, wanted to send an explorer of her own to see what the world was like beyond Skifander. I was chosen. Well, I beat everyone else who wanted to go, anyway. Anyway, during the trip back, I caught a pretty bad illness. As in, I had hallucinations during my fever. Just as I was getting better, the airship was attacked by pirates. The explorers were killed, but as I was weakened by my illness, they imprisoned me and took me back to their hideout. They probably wanted to sell me off as a concubine or a Spark's test subject. They helped me recover so I'd fetch a high price."

Hermione grimaced. "That's sick."

"Yeah, well, they made a mistake of letting me out of my cell once I was healthy. I wiped them out and burned down their fortress…but then, I realised that they might have known where they found me…so they might have had a clue as to where Skifander was." Zeetha grimaced ruefully. "Yeah, not my finest moment. To be fair, I was furious with them for killing those explorers and intending me to be sold off."

Punch gently tapped Zeetha's shoulder, and then unfurled a map he had in his pocket. On one side, it had Europe, and on the other, it had the world. He gently pointed to part of it, or at least circled part of it with his finger. "That's where Skifander is?" Zeetha asked. Punch nodded. "Thanks, big guy. Though…yeesh, I'm a VERY long way from home."

* * *

They were soon approached by a tall, broad bearded man, rather like Hagrid in miniature, though his eyes glimmered with considerably more intelligence. Judy accompanied him. "I am Hieronymus Payne, master of this circus. Mrs Clay here has told me, somewhat discreetly, of your plight, and while I am loath to harbour any fugitives from Castle Wulfenbach normally, I am told you have the ability to disguise yourselves."

Hermione nodded. "We do. Tonks has the ability to change her appearance naturally, and we can use other abilities to disguise it." To demonstrate, Hermione pointed her wand at herself, and changed her hair and eye colour, as well as her facial features.

"I see. Useful, that," Payne said. "Mrs Clay has told me that you will be meeting up with someone in Zumzum, and that you will be accompanying us at least until then. I would suggest that you use your abilities to disguise yourselves, or at least those who are on the run from Castle Wulfenbach. I will not have those under my care get into trouble because of this..."

* * *

They were soon preparing to go on the move, and Judy said quietly, "I think I've heard of these people before. This isn't just a circus, a travelling show…it's a _refuge_. A refuge for minor Sparks. Those who have the Spark, but their area of expertise is…well, not traditional for Sparks. It was a really hard sell getting Master Payne to agree to us coming with him. I can't blame him: he has his own people to protect. I think he may have recognised me, too. Trust us to end up at one of the travelling Heterodyne Shows. Well, there's no use crying over spilt milk. Harry, Agatha, you'll have to be disguised by those spells, along with Punch and I. If that teleportation thing isn't traced by the Baron, we have a chance to slip through the net. He won't know where we are exactly, only that we're heading to Mechanicsburg, in all likelihood. But he daren't risk too-wide a search. He'll probably circulate descriptions of us, but if we use disguises…"

"Got it," Harry said.

"Hang a moment, what if she sends that bitch DuPree?" Moloch asked.

"As long as she doesn't happen upon us, she shouldn't be a problem," Judy said. "If she does, though…I know of her reputation. Punch and I can handle DuPree. It's if they send someone else. You said Othar was on Castle Wulfenbach, didn't you?"

Agatha nodded. "Is it true? Does he kill any Sparks he happens across?"

"More or less. Othar won't kill someone he is allied with, but it is true that he has a bad habit of killing any Sparks he comes across. And he's tenacious. I've heard about the times he ended up falling to apparently certain death, only to turn up like a bad penny. Another concern is Von Pinn, who might be sent after us. While she may be Lucrezia's creation in part, I think there's more to her than that. I don't know for sure, but she may house the intelligence of one of the Muses."

"The what?" Harry asked.

"The Muses," Agatha breathed in awe. "One of nine Clanks, in the form of women, created by the famed Spark van Rijn for the Storm King Andronicus Valois himself to help him govern his empire. Supreme works of art AND technology. They weren't just artificial intelligences, to use your world's terms: they are amongst the few Clanks that are acknowledged by most to have souls, of a sort. Which Muse was used for Von Pinn?"

"I don't know for sure, but if I had to guess, it was Otilia, Muse of Protection," Judy said. "But I can't tell you for certain: your mother kept many secrets from us."

"So where the hell is she?" Harry asked. "The Other hasn't been seen for years. She's either dead or in hiding…or maybe she's got some freaky cheating death thing like Voldemort did. And more to the point, what is she up to?"

"Barry could only tell us fragments. He only suspected what she was up to, and that was in his last letters to us," Judy said. "Bill and Barry were working to sabotage Lucrezia's machinations, and I guess they did so successfully. But there are plenty of ways a Spark can use to cheat death if she has died, and those are just what's on historical record. Lucrezia is wholly without scruples, and she is utterly brilliant. A bad combination."

"Marvellous," Harry muttered. "And we've got the problem of Dumbledore, Snape, and Moody to deal with. The only consolation is that Baron Wulfenbach will probably concentrate on getting them almost as much as getting us. He's worried about them, and rightfully so. We'll have to keep an eye out for them. Merlin knows where they are…"

* * *

Snape couldn't help but derive some small satisfaction from seeing Dumbledore squirm as the pale woman glared at him. It had taken them some time to get their bearings and head back to this, their base of operations in this world, working with some uneasy allies. Subduing Moody, who had had second thoughts now that Potter was free of the Horcrux, took up part of that time, as did doing a cursory search for Potter away from Castle Wulfenbach. "Fool!" she snarled. "We told you to be on the lookout for someone matching that girl's description, and you let her slip through your fingers!"

"My dear woman…" Dumbledore began, before the woman lunged forward and gripped him by the throat. Not enough to seriously strangle him, but enough to have him shut up.

"I am not your woman, dear or otherwise," she hissed, her blank white eyes nonetheless glaring deep into his soul. "Now you have alerted Baron Wulfenbach to your presence! So much for your 'magic'! I wouldn't be surprised if they either stayed close to the Baron for protection, or else fled his presence! Either way is problematic! Years of continuing Our Lady's work could be in jeopardy! Age has clearly done you no favours. I only tolerate your presence because you are of use, and that use is fading."

 _Not fun, is it?_ Snape thought, glaring at Dumbledore as he was released from Vrin's grip. Out loud, he asked, "Are you sure that this girl is the one you seek, Lady Vrin?"

"You showed us your memories in that Pensieve thing," Vrin said. "I am almost certain. I would have had to hear her voice to be certain, but she didn't speak while you were there. If Wulfenbach got her in Beetleburg during the recent disturbance there, then that would explain where she was hiding. I will try to get word out to my sisters, have them keep an eye out. We will have the Holy Child, or else! Nothing is to stand in the way of carrying out Our Lady's work! Nothing, and nobody!"

 **CHAPTER 9 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Well, Harry, Agatha and company have found a potential refuge. And it seems that Dumbledore has, albeit somewhat unwillingly, teamed up with Lady Vrin, leader of the Geisterdamen in Europe.**

 **Review-answering time!** **edboy4926** **: No. None whatsoever.**

 **Guest** **: Yeah, I didn't really pay much attention to the scars, thinking it down to his lifestyle, but apparently Phil and Kaja Foglio confirmed this.**

 **OBSERVER01** **: Probably not. That's what they've got Franz for. You know, the oversized bloody dragon?**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	11. Chapter 10: Letters and Proposals

**CHAPTER 10:**

 **LETTERS AND PROPOSALS**

It was one of the few joys Klaus got nowadays, doing his research. And he was troubled. He had been since Agatha and Harry ended up in his custody, and it had only gotten worse since they slipped through his fingers. What was more, Bangladesh DuPree's reports of the strange windows in space that seemed to show a possible future disturbed him. His son, dressed as a Geisterdamen, helping Agatha, Harry and Moloch do something. It also meant that she could still be The Other, using time travel technology to influence the past, but his gut was telling him otherwise, not unless something really bad happened.

Still, he had his people searching, along with Von Pinn. However, rumours were still circulating amongst the crew, and the student-hostages. Even his son knew, though thankfully, he didn't seem to show as many signs of being smitten with her as he feared. Interested, yes, but smitten?

Klaus also took some small consolation in the fact that he had at least made the girl aware of the dangers her mother posed. And they hadn't ruled out allying with him, they just weren't going to do so on his terms. Frustrating, but if he was lucky, he would be able to work with it. He just hoped his fears about those time windows and what they may portend were unfounded.

As he entered his lab and began donning his lab coat and surgical gear, he said to his test subject, "Good afternoon."

Othar merely grunted in contempt and anger, his eyes hidden by his visor. Few people knew this, but Othar had actually quite beautiful pale blue eyes. He probably had the visor to avoid people being too distracted by them.

"Well, it's understandable that you didn't sleep well," Klaus said with an genial smile. "But today is going to be rather interesting for both of us."

"You'll excuse me for not sharing your enthusiasm, you twisted fiend!" Othar snarled.

Klaus sighed quietly. He should start making a mental list of how many times Othar used certain phrases or lines(1). "It's quite all right," he said as he pulled on some rubber gloves. "I'm used to it."

"Well, you're wasting your time! I won't crack under any kind of torture!" Othar sneered.

"Oh, the question I want answered is very different, Othar," Klaus said. "Why you're a Spark, why you are different from other people. Yes, yes, I know you don't know. Neither do I. But I do intend to find out." He showed a now worried-looking Othar a drill bit. "I will destroy parts of your brain until you're no longer a Spark."

"…You can do that?" Othar asked, both afraid and, despite himself, interested.

"Of course, though it takes time and effort…though the quality of life thing afterwards is somewhat tricky, but I'm improving."

"But…my life's work! My mission!"

"Something of a bonus. I would do more psychological tests, but I've studied your habits for long enough while you worked for me. You are far too dangerous to continue the way you are now…"

"Herr Baron?"

Klaus sighed as the laboratory light was turned up to normal intensity, and he looked over to Boris standing in the doorway. "Yes, what is it?"

"I'm sorry, Herr Baron, but the Hufftberg City Council are getting even more vocal about the Glassworks, though that may be because they feel slighted because Tartown got the new university."

Klaus sighed again. "I'll donate the costs of the Corbetite terminal as long as they supply the labour. And if they continue to be difficult, then I will have the Jägers there in two days, and the City Council can build the terminal with their own damn hands!"

"Understood, Herr Baron. In addition, I have been asking for regular reports on the search for our escapees. To date, nothing has been found of either party. However, our forces at Mechanicsburg are on alert, as much as we can without having the locals getting interested."

"I see. Good. You may go, Boris, but I want no more interruptions." As Boris left, Klaus muttered, "It's like dealing with squabbling toddlers!"

"Oh? Does your empire give you no pleasure, tyrant?!" Othar demanded.

"Of course it doesn't," Klaus retorted, and got a small thrill out of seeing Othar wrongfooted by the honest response. "I detest politics, and yet, now I have to do it, day in, day out." He thought back to his wife and daughter, back in Skifander, the ones he was forced to leave behind to save Gilgamesh's life. "I haven't seen my wife in years," he muttered.

"Your wife?!" Othar yelped.

"All my old friends are gone…or turned into my enemies," Klaus added bitterly, though Othar's confusion gave him more satisfaction. "I haven't explored or travelled for years. At least with Bill and Barry, we had adventures, fights, it was _fun!_ And now? I send in the soldiers, followed by bureaucrats with mops and buckets. It's become an old formula." He was about to return to his work, before he saw a ball of flame appear nearby. "What the…?!"

An ethereal song filled the laboratory, and a majestic flame-coloured bird appeared from within the flames. In fact, if Klaus didn't know any better, he would have said it was a Phoenix. And oddly enough, it had an envelope grasped in its talons. Once it deposited the letter, it left the way it came.

Klaus shared a bemused look with Othar, before he looked at the envelope, which read Baron Klaus von Wulfenbach. He reached for some special tongs, taking the envelope, before putting it into a sealed chamber, resistant to poison, biological hazards, or caustic chemicals. Once it was in, he opened the envelope carefully with the inbuilt gloves.

So it was a letter, from the Potter boy. The scrawl was untidy but still rather legible. It read thusly…

 _Baron,_

 _I'm not going to apologise for escaping. Neither is Agatha. Bluntly, we don't trust you. But…for a tyrant, you at least seem remotely reasonable. Consider this my doing you a favour._

 _You wanted to know about magic and about those three who accosted us. Well, first off, Dumbledore. He was not only headmaster of the school I went to, but he held the equivalents of two other positions in the wizarding world. I dunno whether you have something like the United Nations, but he was like the Secretary-General. He also acted like…the Speaker in the House of Commons in our Britain. He may be old and half-senile, but he's a powerful wizard. The Phoenix I've sent to you with this letter used to be his familiar, but has since joined our side._

 _Severus Snape was my potions teacher. He's a smart guy, but as arrogant as he claims I am, and loves to be a bully. He's also a master of Dark Arts, and used to be a lackey of the wizarding terrorist who wanted me dead. Moody was a paranoid old Auror or policeman back home, and he's a bloody skilled combatant._

 _Now, I mentioned the three Unforgivables before I left. There's also a mind-reading magic called Legilimency that Snape and, I think, Dumbledore can do. There's also spells for cutting things, blowing things up, setting them on fire, and erasing memories._

 _Now, I can't really say much more without being there in person, and I'm not going to pop in for a nice cup of tea and a chat. But while we're at it, we'll let you know if we find anything of The Other's. We also found out something disturbing: apparently, well, Slaver Wasps? The infection is apparently asymptomatic normally. Revenants don't normally act like shambling zombies. I'm telling you this partly because we want to help, and partly because, well, I'm having a lot of fun imagining the look on your face thinking about that. But it's the truth. It comes from a source you trust._

 _Anyway, I hope this helps. But don't try to stop us._

 _Harry Potter_

Klaus felt a thrill of horror at the words written on the page. While he wanted to deny it, if this was true, it would go some way to explaining why Bill and Barry, and thus Punch and Judy, didn't trust him. His forces had been already compromised by Lucrezia.

Klaus immediately opened the door to his laboratory. Thankfully, Boris was arguing with a Lackya. "Boris!" Klaus yelled. As the four-armed man came over, Klaus hissed quietly, "Have we got the Vespiary Squad at the ready with Wasp-Eaters?"

"They have been on standby ever since the Hive Engine was brought on board, Herr Baron, but only as a precaution in case there was a breach," Boris said. "Why? They can only detect Slaver Wasps and Revenants."

"Exactly." Klaus thrust the letter at Boris, who read it, frowning, before his eyes widened with horror. "We need to start going over everyone here on Castle Wulfenbach. Double-check the Sparks and Jägers as well, I can't dismiss the possibility that The Other created a Slaver Wasp that can infect either. That includes myself, you, my son, and DuPree. Recall her at once."

"Understood. What do we do about Othar?"

Klaus looked over at the trussed 'Gentleman Adventurer', and said, "I'll have to deal with him another time. Take him back into custody, and use the strictest procedures…"

* * *

Sirius was laughing. "They must be running around like headless chickens! And the best part of the prank is that it's true!"

"It's no laughing matter," Judy said. "The only reason why we allowed Harry to send that letter is that, like it or not, the Baron will owe us somewhat. And in any case, purging his ranks of Revenants will affect his manpower and ability to pursue us. And given what that Clank nearly did…"

The others nodded solemnly. The circus had been intercepted by a Clank, leftover from a war, abandoned, and going rogue. Agatha, as well as the circus' fortuneteller, Madam Olga, narrowly avoided getting killed while fighting it off. This had helped them gain more acceptance from Payne and his charges. Zeetha also seemed impressed, and decided to attach herself to the odd party. She was gently stroking Fawkes' feathers. "I'm glad you guys saved Olga. She believed my story about Skifander, even if she couldn't tell me where it was. I have known since my childhood that Death has a bad habit of cutting in on the dance, but even so, to lose her…" She shook her head. "Never mind. Agatha, Adam, Lilith…I have been wandering Europe for three years now, looking for any sign of my home. You, Agatha, are the first person I have met who has even heard of it."

"We only know what little her uncle told us," Judy said. "Even the location is very rough. We believe that the Baron himself may have been sent there by Lucrezia, though we don't know for sure."

"Even so, you must understand, I was beginning to worry that I had imagined it all, that Skifander was little more than fevered imaginings from my disease-ravaged mind. None of the cities or the universities had any information. I feared I was going mad. Until Master Payne came along, I was on the verge of just picking a direction and walking along it until I found either Skifander, or my demise. I didn't care which. To have one person tell me of it is lucky enough, but to have three, well…in gratitude for that, and for helping keep us safe, I have a proposal. If Agatha needs protection, then I will give her warrior training. The warrior tradition of the Royal House of Skifander is old, proud, and guarded closely. In this life, I am only allowed to train my daughters, save for one person I choose. That will be you. Our bond will be closer than friends, families, or lovers. We will be _Kolee-dok-Zumil_."

Harry noted that Punch and Judy's eyes had widened in shock. "Uh, is that a bad thing?" he asked, suddenly concerned for Agatha's welfare.

"What little Barry told us of their culture included that phrase," Judy said. "It's somewhat hard to translate. There's 'teacher and student', 'cause and effect'…but the closest translation is actually 'grindstone and knife'."

Agatha and Harry turned to Zeetha in horror, and she grinned unrepentantly, her teeth looking vaguely fanged. "Yep! Be ready at dawn tomorrow, Agatha! We're gonna whip that body of yours into shape!"

Harry couldn't help but feel sorry for Agatha, with her deer in the headlights look. But if Zeetha could help Agatha get into fighting shape, he would help make sure Agatha survived it. Still, that sadistic grin didn't do the green-haired warrior any favours…

 **CHAPTER 10 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, the Baron has been warned about the Revenants in his midst, and Zeetha has vowed to torture…I mean, train Agatha. I glossed over the Clank attack, but Olga's fine, unlike canon. So, she hasn't been flash-fried to death, buried, and then regrown in a jar.**

 **I think learning who Agatha is earlier also helped Klaus consider an alternative to what he believed the time windows to show a future of. I think in this version of events, having managed to get a slightly better grasp of Agatha's character, he is more doubtful about her possibly being The Other, even with the time windows. He's still open to the possibility that she is The Other, but he is more willing to believe that she could be innocent, and would prefer to think that way.**

 **1\. Klaus is channelling a bit of Frieza in** ** _Dragonball Z Abridged_** **, who makes tallies of certain lines 'heroes' spout.**


	12. Chapter 11: Soul Bonds and Meetings

**CHAPTER 11:**

 **SOUL BONDS AND MEETINGS**

It had been some days since they started travelling with Payne…and since Zeetha's training of Agatha began. The poor girl was exhausted, though Harry showed some solidarity by joining her for the physical exercises, as did Hermione. Zeetha allowed that much, even if she wouldn't teach Harry and Hermione how to fight in her style. And the green-haired Skifander native was astonished when Hermione brought out special potions for healing after physical exercise: she didn't know whether to call them cheating or just plain useful.

Agatha was pretty sure that Zeetha had a sadistic streak a mile wide. Morning runs, dodging, swordfighting…it was the support of her friends, and her adoptive parents, that helped her pull through. And Judy had related that to be in such a relationship was a high honour, especially for a non-Skifander native.

There were plenty of nice people in the circus, including a boy her age called Lars, the bickering actor couple Abner and Pix, Master Payne and his wife…once the uneasiness of their arrival had died down, they had been, if not accepted fully, then at least given the benefit of the doubt. The fact that Agatha was a Spark and knew a lot about machinery, and the wizards could use spells to repair some of the trickier problems helped. And Moloch found his mechanical skills in demand as well.

And while her training of Agatha was intense, Zeetha was nonetheless quite friendly outside of it. When she saw the magic the wizards and witches used, she just shrugged nonchalantly, though she got a chuckle out of Agatha calling it Will-based Transmogrification Force, a term Hermione adopted.

It was during an encounter against a bizarre monstrous horse Construct that they confirmed that many of those here in the circus were Sparks. Between their inventions, Agatha's death ray, Punch's rivets, and the wizards' attacks, the horse was soon destroyed, though it traumatised poor Lars, and Zeetha was in need of a potion to heal her sprained ankle.

She and Hermione had looked after Lars during the night. And that's when their discussion took an interesting turn…

* * *

 _"It's weird," Agatha remarked, as Lars slept, courtesy of a Dreamless Sleep potion Hermione had given him. "I've had Harry as…well, a companion for two years, and yet, I haven't really_ _ **known**_ _him for that long. And yet, I trust him completely and utterly."_

 _Hermione smiled. "Maybe it's because he engendered that trust while still an owl. It took me a while to get used to him. Or maybe it was really the other way around. I was a bossy little know-it-all…well, worse than I am now. After Harry got away with breaking the rules, I got a bit huffy, but when Ron gave me grief for trying to help him, well, I ran away, crying. He called me a nightmare, and said it was little wonder that I had any friends. I was crying in the toilets all day. But then, a Troll attacked, and, well, Harry and Ron came in to save me. I think that was the point where we became friends. I think Harry always saw me as a sort of bossy big sister he never had. I did have some small hope that he might see me as something more…but that died when I thought he had. And when I came here, and saw him with you…I admit, I was a little jealous…but I was also happy."_

 _"I don't want to get between you two," Agatha said._

 _"That's not the problem. I've been casting detection spells at you two, on a hunch." And that's when Agatha realised that Hermione's eyes were glistening with tears. "I'm even more jealous now," she admitted with a sad smile._

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _"Bluntly, you two have a soul bond, one that formed a couple of years ago." Hermione held up a hand. "It's a pretty tricky area of magic, but, I'll try to explain. You're aware of the concept of a soulmate?"_

 _"You mean that destined partner rubbish?" Agatha asked._

 _Hermione nodded. "People mistake that for a soul bond. A soul bond is when a wizard or a witch finds and forms a relationship with someone their souls are compatible with to a ridiculously extraordinary degree. The bond isn't just emotional and psychological, but a magical one as well. It's not necessarily a romantic or sexual bond: it can be one of an extremely strong friendship too. But I think it's a romantic one, or it will become one."_

 _Agatha opened her mouth to deny it, only to catch herself short. While it was true that her feelings for Harry weren't quite strong enough to call love, some part of her couldn't deny that they could develop into something more. She certainly felt affection for him, and she knew he felt the same way. "But why?"_

 _"Harry fell through the Veil. That normally should have killed him. And yet, something in him called to someone to save him. I think the Spark, given how it often violates known laws of physics, may be a mutated form of magic. And if you are a Heterodyne, that may mean, if my theory is correct, that you have some means of joining in a soul bond. You see, soul bonds only happen with those with magic inside them, though that can include Squibs, those without magic but are born to a wizard and a witch. Your Spark connected with Harry's magic, and drew him into this world. The soul bond has been there for some time. Maybe it was your very presence that saved Harry from being lost beyond the Veil, and for that, I'm truly grateful…"_

* * *

Agatha wanted to deny it. The concept of such a thing went against everything she knew about biology, physics, and human relationships. And yet, she couldn't deny that there was a bond there. And Zeetha seemed to notice too. She seemed encouraging, grinning her fanged grin.

And apparently her Clank, which she had dubbed the Dingbot, had begun making covert repairs of the various circus vehicles. In fact, she was sure she had glimpsed more of them around.

They had halted for lunch, and Agatha was sitting with the wizards, Moloch, Krosp, and her adoptive parents. Zeetha was also sitting with them, listening to Harry's tale of killing a Basilisk. "Damn, Harry," Zeetha said. "That must've taken serious balls to do. I mean, we're a matriarchal society back home, but we still value strong male warriors. I don't think any of us have taken on a damned huge snake that can kill on eye contact."

"If it weren't for Fawkes," Harry said, indicating the Phoenix, "I'd be dead."

"He has a serious 'saving people thing'," Hermione said with good-natured exasperation. "He can't help but be reckless when that's involved."

Harry chuckled bitterly, but before they could say anything else, they heard Master Payne call out, "Who are you? What do you want?"

The voice was rich and sweet and soft, a woman's voice, but it held the distinctive accent of a Jäger, and carried across the campground. "Hy vish to speak vit de Clayz."

Agatha turned to find a most extraordinary figure perched on a bear. It was a woman, dressed in armour, with a purple cape and wide-brimmed hat. Her mouth was concealed by a scarf, her hair was a fine silver, her skin a faint olive green. Her eyes looked at them all calmly. Payne looked over at the others, with Judy nodding. "She's friendly."

Payne nodded reluctantly. "Hy vill not stay too long," the Jäger woman said. She then came over to the gathering, and looked at Punch and Judy.

"Zeetha, do you mind going away for a bit?" Judy asked.

The green-haired warrior sighed. "Okay, fine. But I'll be back soon."

As she walked away, Hermione and Sirius began laying down a privacy ward. The Jäger looked interested, if a little wary. "Hyu trust dem?" she asked, indicating the wizards.

"They know, Jenka," Judy said.

The now-identified Jenka nodded, and pulled down the scarf around her face. "Punch, Judy, it's good to see you both," she said, her accent now far less heavy. "When I got the letter via that bird, I had almost thought it a hoax. Especially when you said the Heterodyne heir was a girl."

"I'm right here, you know, and it's pretty much news to me," Agatha said.

Jenka turned to face Agatha. Agatha was struck by how…normal her face was, uncovered by the scarf. No, not _normal_. In fact, it was stunningly beautiful, and her teeth actually looked human. She sniffed Agatha gently, before she nodded. "I see. She certainly smells like a Heterodyne should smell. Where are the Masters?" Jenka asked Judy.

"I don't know. Our last letter from them was years ago," Judy said. "I'm sorry we hadn't contacted you before, but we needed to keep Agatha hidden, from the Baron, and from agents of The Other. But she IS Bill and Lucrezia's daughter. In any case, the Baron is aware of her existence, but he doesn't know exactly where we are, only that we're headed for Mechanicsburg."

"I see. I was lucky I stumbled across you. I was heading back to Zumzum: apparently those three got themselves into trouble," Jenka said with a sigh.

"And who is acting as Seneschal?" Judy asked. "Carson?"

"Not exactly. His grandson Vanamonde does most of the work now…when he isn't shirking it," Jenka said with a smirk. "But Carson still runs many parts of the shadow council in Mechanicsburg. The Baron shouldn't be aware, though. And General Gkika still runs her little tourist attraction. My boss is keeping an eye on the Baron. The von Mekkhans and Gkika should be your first ports of call when you get to Mechanicsburg."

"Your boss?" Harry asked.

"Best if I do not say," Jenka said. "You trust these people?"

"With our lives," Judy said. "But there are others with similar powers, others who want this one, Harry, dead, and probably don't care about who is in their way. An older, bearded man called Dumbledore, a greasy-haired man called Snape, and one who looks like a sewn-together Construct with an artificial blue eye called Moody. They use…what could be considered magic under most circumstances. They can use wands."

Jenka nodded. "I know those names. They, along with descriptions of Agatha and these two," she indicated Harry and Moloch, "have already been circulated. And this cat Construct."

"Excuse me, but this cat Construct has a name," Krosp remarked archly. "I am Krosp."

"I see." Jenka looked over at Punch and Judy. "I'm sorry, but I'm sure that your fellow travellers are getting antsy. Jägers are feared across Europe, after all. We should meet again in Zumzum once my other business is finished. Incidentally, if your route takes you to Passholdt, I have heard bad rumours about that place lately. Just a warning." Jenka turned to Agatha, and smiled. "It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Agatha. I hope to be there when the Doom Bell is rung to celebrate your ascendancy, and the Jägers can re-enter Mechanicsburg once more." She nodded to them all, before leaving, Hermione and Sirius taking down the wards.

They watched as Jenka mounted her bear, and then rode it away. Zeetha ambled back over. "Yeesh, on speaking terms with a wild Jäger. You're full of surprises. Never saw a female Jäger before, either. Should've asked her to give me a spar."

"She's an old friend," Judy said. "If she ever has the opportunity to take time off from her work, she might just give you a spar if you ask nicely."

"Great!"

 _Battle nut_ , Agatha thought to herself. She wondered, though, how things were going with Gilgamesh. As much as she was wary of him, there was part of her that was worried about him…

* * *

The Wasp-Eater, a six-legged weasel with cybernetic bits added, made a contented hum as Gilgamesh gently petted it. "Asymptomatic Revenants," he muttered. "I still can't believe it."

"Neither can I, son," Klaus said, looking at a map of his empire as they discussed things in his study. "Over a hundred already detected on Castle Wulfenbach alone. Thank whatever deity is listening that neither of us are Wasped, along with Boris and DuPree, and that valet of yours, though you and I both know that his true loyalties are to Albia, Her Undying Majesty of Britain. But still…Rovainen, a man I entrusted to research the Hive Engine, was a potential agent of The Other. He could have activated the damnable thing if given the order."

Bangladesh DuPree was toying idly with her favourite stiletto in the corner of the room. "So?"

"Agatha is very much like her mother," Klaus said. "She sometimes sounds a lot like her. Imagine if, in a fit of anger, she gave an order to a Revenant. It may be that said Revenant would carry it out. Shortly after I began the investigation into this, my people sent me what was left of Beetle's notes after that fire, a fire I am certain Merlot started to hide the truth and kill my men, worried about what would happen if I found out he had expelled a Heterodyne." A sardonic smiled touched his lips. "Needless to say, he's on his way to Castle Heterodyne. He was warned, and he not only tried to hinder me, but murdered some of my best cryptographers. Beetle himself speculated that Agatha could control Revenants too, and was considering using her as a weapon."

"So why warn us about it, father?" Gilgamesh asked. "Is she trying to deceive us?"

"The letter was written by Harry Potter. He also said that it came from a source I would trust. Given that we never found the Clays, aka Punch and Judy, I would hazard that it is them, and through them from one of the Heterodyne Boys. They sent it presumably as a gesture of goodwill, at least partially. Agatha herself stated that she was not averse to allying with us before escaping. I still have to consider their other motives. By checking our personnel, our manpower to search for them is limited, and Punch and Judy would know that. We have already increased the alert at Mechanicsburg. However, I want to keep an eye on Sturmhalten. While Punch and Judy may attempt to keep Agatha away from there, I have a feeling that events may conspire against them."

"Why Sturmhalten, father? Is Prince Aaronev one of Lucrezia's former associates?"

Klaus nodded. "He submitted to me when I began subduing the warring Sparks, but I know him too well. He yearns for the days of the Storm King again, and that was why he allied himself with Lucrezia. No doubt she promised to give him back the title. I suspect he plots against me, but I have no concrete proof, just rumours and little incidents here and there. Enough to suspect something, but my auditors have found nothing, and have no cause to dig further, yet. About the most interesting thing they found was that his daughter Anevka has been all but turned into a Clank thanks to a terminal illness. And even that was suspicious, but not enough to investigate further. It needed to be something more egregious before I could truly send anyone in, and all I could conceivably accuse him of was possessing one of the Muses to reverse-engineer Anevka's new body from."

"Wait, one of the Muses?" Gilgamesh asked. "How did he come to possess one of van Rijn's masterpieces?"

"From what little my auditors gathered, he used his feudal authority to demand she be handed over," Klaus said. "And even then, that is only rumour. I certainly find it hard to countenance that a Muse would have been found in a travelling Heterodyne Show, of all things. Still, Sturmhalten is one of the places they may pass through on the way to Mechanicsburg."

"And what, we are going to capture her? For her own good?" Gilgamesh asked. "Or for ours?"

"Both, and for the good of the people we rule over," Klaus said bluntly. "An untested Heterodyne heir is bad enough, especially if she gets into Castle Heterodyne and manages to survive long enough to win the Castle's allegiance. But when she is the daughter of Lucrezia Mongfish to boot…Gilgamesh, I want you to avoid going out on some quixotic crusade to rescue her. I fell to the wiles of one Mongfish, and while I hope I am right about her being a possible ally, I won't have history repeat itself with you if I am wrong."

Gilgamesh wasn't happy. But he accepted it. At least his father was telling him things for once. "Do you think Tarvek is in on his father's plans?" Tarvek, Aaronev's son, had been something of a friend, until that incident where Tarvek and Gilgamesh broke into the vaults and they were caught. Hell, Tarvek probably still didn't know that Gilgamesh was a Wulfenbach.

"I don't know. I don't even know for certain that Aaronev is still plotting, but I can't dismiss the possibility at all. But even if Tarvek is not helping his father, his dislike of me, even if veiled publicly, is known," Klaus said. "I sincerely hope Punch and Judy can steer their charge clear of Sturmhalten. Aaronev may attempt to use Agatha as part of a plot against us if he becomes aware of her heritage. Captain DuPree, once we have finished checking your crews, I will send them out again to search for the fugitives. Von Pinn hasn't reported yet, but if anyone can track them down in the Wastelands, it would be her. Of course, I may need you to do something else, DuPree. Othar has escaped again, shortly after we tested him with the Wasp-Eaters. We're still cleaning up the damage he left behind, and thank goodness he didn't targeted the Hive Engine lab!"

"He turns that sort of thing into an artform," Gilgamesh chuckled, though he stopped when his father glared at him.

"Othar is a major wildcard, son," Klaus bit out. "If he encounters Agatha, he may kill her, or else ally with her. Either way, it would be a disaster. It's already a disaster with a Heterodyne heir with the blood of Lucrezia Mongfish in her veins running around with these… _wizards!_ " He spat the last word out as an expletive. "We're lucky that, so far, they have stayed under the radar. But something tells me that won't last…"

 **CHAPTER 11 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Agatha's learned about a soul bond, Jenka has talked to the group, and the Wulfenbachs are making plans.**

 **I removed Jenka's accent for a few reasons. One, well, it's pretty fucking tiring writing it out. It's like with Hagrid or Fleur in the Potterverse. Two, Jenka, we have seen later in the comic, is perfectly capable of speaking normally. So while I wrote in that she had a softer accent while talking to Punch and Judy, I wanted to have her speak normally. Jenka's now aware that Agatha is an actual heir, thanks to Punch and Judy…though she has her duties. And she also mentioned a certain someone keeping an eye on the Baron…someone who is, shall we say…unstoppable?**

 **Anyway, this might be the last chapter for a little while. Need to get my motivation back.**

 **Review-answering time!** **duskrider** **: While Klaus is NOTHING like Frieza, Abridged or otherwise, that's probably something he would do. Keep in mind that, according to the novels (and hinted at in the comics), he actually allows the cowardly/villainous portrayals of himself in the Heterodyne Boys plays to keep going because they actually amuse him. This is a guy who's probably a better tyrant than Lord Vetinari from the Discworld novels, and that's saying something, if only because Klaus is, morally, a better person than Vetinari.**

 **Lexarius** **: Well, the Foglios pretty much confirmed it with a drawing they made of Chump. It's hinted at at varying points in the stories: Klaus can speak the Skifander language, and (in all likelihood ignorant that she's his daughter) is worried that Zeetha may have been sent to kill Gilgamesh, and Gilgamesh reveals inadvertently to Zeetha that he knows a Skifander trick to lessen fatigue (he only knows it as something his father taught him, rather than being a technique from Skifander). I think Zeetha suspects the truth later in the comic, but has yet to act against Gilgamesh, presumably because her mission wasn't to find Gilgamesh or 'Chump'. Hell, she obviously doesn't know what her father looks like, or she would have reacted to meeting him differently.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	13. Chapter 12: Blood Will Tell

**CHAPTER 12:**

 **BLOOD WILL TELL**

Shortly before reaching Zumzum, parts were assigned for the Heterodyne Boys play they were going to act in. To Agatha's delight, it was one of her favourites, _The Race to the West Pole_. Somewhat less to her delight, the other actors had decided to get her to play the role of Lucrezia. When Harry and the others protested about keeping her incognito, they pointed out that she would only be out of disguise on-stage, and in any case, she would be in costume and makeup as Lucrezia.

Harry wasn't amused to learn that one scene would involve Agatha being snogged by Lars, who played Bill. So he distracted himself by watching as Remus and Hermione brewed a lineage potion. Agatha, after doing some rehearsals, came back, having been told about the potion.

"So, why are we making this stuff again?" Tonks asked, wrinkling her nose at the smell.

"A few reasons," Remus said. "The first is, we can definitively tell that Agatha is indeed the child of Bill Heterodyne and Lucrezia Mongfish. Secondly, it can tell whether an ancestor, particularly an immediate one like a parent, is dead or alive, so if Lucrezia is still alive, it can tell. I hope."

Zeetha nodded. By now, she had been trusted enough to know who Agatha really was, swearing on her honour as Agatha's teacher. "Thirdly, well, if Chump's not the real name of my dad, who was he? My mother didn't even have a picture of him. I think they parted on bad terms, though she never told me why. So, if this thing works on me, I'm game!"

"These potions are used frequently on your world?" Judy asked.

"Not really. Most of the time, you get this sort of test done at Gringotts," Sirius said. "In fact, Goblins like to see wizards bleed, so that's why it's usually done there. The potion's no secret, though. All you need to do is add blood to it, link it to an automatic quill, and Bob's your Uncle. Or in my case, well, I had too many uncles. Who were also cousins, etcetera. My pedigree is not so much a family tree as it is kudzu."

"It's done," Hermione announced, before pouring out three bowls, linking a quill to them via magic. "Okay, Harry, you go first. It'll act as a sort of control, plus, it should be able to tell whether you have a soul bond with Agatha."

Harry nodded. He'd only just been told by Agatha. He took the stiletto proffered (after it had been properly sterilised), jabbed it into his thumb, and let the blood drip into the first bowl. The stiletto was sterilised while the potion did its work, and the quill began scribbling on the parchment, drawing up a family tree. Hermione nodded. "As I thought, a soul bond," she said, pointing to a golden line linking Harry and Agatha.

Agatha grimaced as she was handed the stiletto, but pricked her thumb carefully, and let the blood drip into her bowl. She watched the family tree being drawn up, and nodded. "Who's Klaus Barry?" she asked, frowning, when she saw what looked like a brother turn up…only to see that he died after too short a life.

Judy sighed. "Your older brother…or at least he would have been, had Castle Heterodyne not been attacked. He died in the attack."

"God…" Agatha murmured. She'd had an older brother, and she never knew, even if he died in infancy. It was a somewhat sobering thought. "Still, to name him after the Baron…"

"Bill and Barry thought highly of Klaus. It wasn't until after The Other attacked and the Baron turned to conquering Europe that it soured," Judy said, pursing her lips.

Zeetha, who had been handed the now-sterilised stiletto, was looking down at the parchment, and murmured what was probably a prayer in her native tongue. Out loud, and rather solemnly, she said, "To die before he truly lived."

After a moment's silence, Agatha looked at her mother's name, which didn't show a death date. Neither did her father or uncle…but her mother's name looked strange. It seemed to be a much different colour to the others on the parchment. "What does this mean?" she asked.

"I don't know," Remus said. "Best guess, Lucrezia is alive, but in a state of being that is…unusual. It wouldn't show a ghost like that, they'd count as dead."

Agatha chewed at her lip, while Zeetha decided to prick her thumb with the stiletto and do her own test. But as the quill sprang to life and began scrawling on the parchment, Zeetha's expression changed from anticipation to sheer shock. She hissed a couple of words in her language, before she muttered, "Impossible. This damned potion can't be right…"

Harry and Agatha looked at the parchment, and gaped at what was on it. "Hermione…this potion isn't faulty, is it?"

"We brewed it perfectly, Harry," Hermione said.

"Then explain this!" Zeetha snarled, shoving the parchment at Hermione.

Harry knew what Hermione was looking at. According to the parchment, Zeetha had a father, and a brother, they had already met. "Father, Baron Klaus von Wulfenbach, aka Chump of Skifander. Brother, Gilgamesh von Wulfenbach," Hermione murmured.

Zeetha swore a few more times in her own language, before she sat down. "Damn! My father is the dictator of Europe? Then again, maybe it was for the best that he left Skifander. I think I know why my mother refuses to speak of it. Our society would have demanded Gilgamesh's death."

"Why is that?!" Hermione demanded.

"Frankly, it's complicated, but one of the reasons is that ours is a matriarchal society. A son could have been used by some of our males as a focal point for a rebellion. And in any case, few of our warriors would accept a male on the throne. If I am Wulfenbach's daughter, then I have even more reason than you to avoid them, or at least the Baron. He may think I'm an assassin sent to kill Gilgamesh."

"Will you?" Agatha asked, her eyes narrowing. Harry got her point. As much as the Baron, and thus Gilgamesh, were their enemies, killing Gilgamesh for just being born male in a matriarchal society was a bit much.

"What? No! Okay, the Baron's your enemy, I get that, but I'm not gonna kill my father and brother, not unless they try to do it first!" Zeetha protested. Then, as she subsided, she said, "I'm surprised you actually care about them."

"Gilgamesh…he was a nice guy," Agatha admitted quietly. "Killing Dr Beetle aside, I realise he was trying to protect us. And he was nice to us anyway. As for his father, while I hate him for being the dictator of Europe…I understand that the alternatives may be worse, as much as I hate it. He was willing to give me a chance, and once, my father and uncle trusted him. If he dies, what happens to Europe?"

Judy nodded. "Indeed. There are many plotters lurking in the shadows, waiting for the chance to try and take over. And Klaus is more useful to us alive and in charge of his empire than dead, as long as he hasn't been compromised by Lucrezia. Which reminds me, I've spoken with Master Payne, and we intend to part ways with this circus after Zumzum, perhaps once we near Passholdt. We need to avoid Sturmhalten if possible."

"Why's that?" Harry asked.

"Prince Aaronev VI was one of Lucrezia's supporters. He may have equipment relating to her. And Barry had a few theories as to what Lucrezia became, theories that scare me."

"Yeesh," Zeetha remarked. "Looks like we both have parents who suck."

"Eh, join the club," Sirius said. "My mother wasn't as bad as Lucrezia apparently was, but she was still a Grade A bitch…"

* * *

Sometime later, they made it to Zumzum, a largeish town, and started setting up shop in the town square. Harry and Agatha, while wandering the town square, found a trio of Jägers hanging from a gallows, near where Madam Olga was setting up her own tent. Only, despite being hung from the neck, they looked very much alive…and alert. Indeed, they were watching Harry and Agatha. Lars had mentioned them when discussing the playing arrangements with Payne and the others.

Taking Agatha to a corner of the square, Harry asked, "Do you think those three are the ones Jenka and Judy mentioned?"

"Maybe."

One of them had green skin and a short goatee, and was the only one still wearing a hat. Another had what looked like a ram's horn growing out of the side of his head. The third was, despite his purple skin and hair, rather beautiful for a Jäger. And the three of them had their attention on Agatha, Harry noticed.

"They're still alive," Agatha murmured. "I knew Jägers were tough, but…"

"And you wonder why they have such horror stories about them," Olga said, emerging from her tent. "Any Jäger not working for the Baron is fair game, as far as these places are concerned. Jägers are tough and tenacious. They were made that way thanks to the Heterodynes. The Heterodyne Boys did a lot to redeem the family name, but that's only because the Heterodynes before them had such a dark reputation to begin with. I'm not saying these guys are bad by any means…but there's a reason they are feared."

Trying to get her mind off that, Agatha asked, "Out of interest, Olga, what do you do? Just fortune-telling?"

"Sort of. I do a lot of things. Fortune-telling is more about giving advice and the like," Olga said. "I've been here before, and there was this one woman who…well, let's just say you won't look at tea cozies and spoons the same way again. Especially considering how long she can make things last in bed."

"…Do we really want to know the details?" Harry asked flatly as Agatha goggled.

"Maybe. It's weird, but not in a bad way," Olga said. "That being said, you might want to talk to Zeetha about that sort of thing."

"Yep!" the green-haired warrior said, appearing next to them with a grin. "The patron deity back home is Ashtara, and, well, she's a goddess of love and fertility amongst other things." She did a little sensuous dance that made at least one person nearby walk into a pole. "Plus, our holy days are fun! _Cha cha cha!_ "

"…And I'm sure your holy texts are banned in most libraries in Europe," Harry said in a deadpan tone.

"Hey, it's not our fault if Europeans tend to be more prudish," Zeetha said with a smirk. "Methinks I can teach you two a few tricks for the bedroom when the time comes…"

* * *

Soon, it was time for the performance. Harry was staying in the crowd alongside Zeetha, acting as crowd control. However, a very familiar face was making his way through the crowd: namely Othar Tryggvassen. Harry hoped he was only here to see the show, but even so, he pointed out the rogue Spark to Zeetha. In case he was up to something, Harry gently snuck up on the man, and then used a Stunner on him, felling the tall, muscled man. "Sorry, too much excitement and alcohol," Harry apologised, before dragging Othar behind Olga's tent. He used conjured ropes to bind him, before reviving him.

"You?!" Othar all but yelped, Harry's glamour fading.

"Yes, me. What the hell are you doing here?" Harry snarled.

"…Watching the Heterodyne Show," Othar said, puzzled. As if watching Heterodyne Shows was normal for him.

"No, really, he does," Zeetha said. "I've seen him a few times. Loves buying popcorn."

"Huh."

Othar frowned. "Wait…if you're here, then that girl Agatha is here. I overheard the Baron saying she was a Heterodyne, and he also called you Harry. He thought I was still fully sedated."

"Is it true that you kill Sparks? Even those who haven't done any harm to people?" Harry demanded, pressing the tip of his wand to the 'Gentleman Adventurer's throat.

"…Define harm," Othar said. "I have made it my life's mission to…"

"Save it. If you go after Agatha, or anyone else I care about, _I will fucking end you_ ," Harry said. "Am I understood?"

Othar, after a moment, nodded. It was clear that he could sense Harry's conviction. "In any case, I was here just to watch the Heterodyne Show. These guys sell really great popcorn. Free refills too. And when you're an itinerant Gentleman Adventurer, sometimes, you don't know when the next good meal comes along, so you take advantage of all opportunities like this…"

* * *

Reluctantly, Harry freed Othar, who seemed content to just watch the play, though he and Zeetha kept an eye on him. And he had to admit, Agatha was brilliant at playing Lucrezia. True, the play was pretty much a panto, but it was still enjoyable all the same. And Agatha enjoyed hamming it up as Lucrezia…as her mother.

Harry wondered, then, what was with her mother? Why did the blood test show that weird effect on her name? What had happened to Lucrezia? Or, more to the point, what had she done to herself?

After the play, Agatha headed back to Harry and Zeetha, though she looked far from pleased when she saw Othar. They had to dispel her glamour so that she could play Lucrezia. "And what is he doing here?" she asked.

"Enjoying the show. And before you ask, I am not here to kill you. I may have before I learned you were a Heterodyne, but in any case, your beau has made it clear that he would retaliate with lethal force."

Agatha didn't even bother denying what Othar said. Then, Othar said, "You've left the Baron in something of a tizzy, apparently, what with the whole Slaver Wasp thing. Which was good. Leaving aside that the distraction helped me escape his lair, anything that frustrates that fiend is good in my book."

"We didn't do it for you, Othar," Agatha said. "And no, we're still not joining you as sidekicks to your little crusade."

"That's fine. I have no intention of doing anything anyway, for now," Othar said. "If you are anything like Bill and Barry, it may even help."

"Maybe. But I've got a long way to go before I can be like them," Agatha said. "I didn't ask to be a hero, or have the Spark…but I have the Spark, and I want to help people."

Suddenly, there was a loud roar, and something loped into the town square, sending the stragglers from the play screaming as they ran away. Harry and Agatha stared as Jenka, astride her bear, rode in, pursued by a group of the town's watch. Jenka met their eyes, and subtly shook her head. Instead, she called out, "Hy em lookink for my boyz!"

As she fought off the town watch, Agatha and Harry hurried over to the gallows, Zeetha in tow. "Problems, Mistress?" the green-skinned one asked.

"She's looking for you," Agatha said. "We get you down, and you get her out of here while you escape. And you'll leave the townsfolk alone. Swear that's all you'll do on your loyalty to the House of Heterodyne!"

The Jägers grinned. "Schmot gurl. Ve svear, don ve, Mistress?"

Harry used a Cutting Curse to sever the rope of the green-skinned one, while Zeetha handed Agatha a knife, and pulled her up onto the gallows. Soon, all three Jägers were free, and grinned, before scampering off after Jenka. The four Jägers were soon out of the town square, and into the night…

* * *

Othar made his excuses and left, though not promising to find Agatha in a few months' time, to see how she was getting along. And wishing her luck, surprisingly sincerely.

Harry sighed. "Well, that was a saga."

"Yes."

"So, how did it feel playing your own mother?"

"…Weirdly fitting. It's like I've always known what it's like to be her," Agatha confessed. "And that worries me. If she really was The Other…"

"But you're not her. You never will be, Agatha," Harry said quietly. "You're a good person, and you have us to keep an eye on you."

Agatha nodded solemnly. Then, in an attempt to lighten the mood, Harry asked, "So…how good a kisser was Lars?"

Agatha's embarrassed spluttering and Harry's laughter echoed around the town street. They would be on the move tomorrow, and hopefully, tonight's events would be the most excitement that they'd have for a while…

 **CHAPTER 12 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Oh dear. Famous last words there. Because the next chapter, tentatively titled** ** _Clash on the Big Bridge_** **, will be Passholdt…with a major twist. And even so, now Zeetha is aware of her heritage, and things are getting interesting…**

 **Before I get onto the reviews, I'd like to make two recommendations of really good Girl Genius fanfics. The first is a crossover with** ** _Fate/Stay Night_** **, written by Satire Swift (who also did a number of spinoff stories from gabriel blessing's** ** _Fate/Stay Night/Sekirei_** **crossover** ** _In Flight_** **). It's called** ** _Agatha Emiya and the Fifth Holy Grail War_** **, and while it hasn't been updated for just over a year as of writing, it's still a good story.**

 **The second recommendation is one I only just stumbled across, thanks to TV Tropes:** ** _Well Met at Mechanicsburg_** **. I'm only three chapters in, but even then, it's a damned good AU so far, showing what happens when Barry actually joins forces with Klaus when he takes Agatha away from Lucrezia. I thought it may have only be at AO3, but it was here on this website. Take a look if you want.**

 **Review-answering time!** **kyugan** **: Sadly, things are not going to work out as neatly as that, as the next chapter will show. But Harry will play a large role in keeping his future mother in law at bay.**

 **Technomad** **: A pleasure to see one of my favourite authors leave a review! And I can't wait for the next chapter of your story** ** _Harry and the Pirates_** **…which I wholeheartedly recommend to my readers, especially if they're fans of Black Lagoon as well as the Potterverse.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	14. Chapter 13: Clash on the Big Bridge

**CHAPTER 13:**

 **CLASH ON THE BIG BRIDGE**

Sometime after leaving Zumzum, they made their way to Passholdt. Payne was aware that Harry and Agatha, along with their friends, were to part ways around this point, and Judy had relayed the warning that Jenka had given them. Which was why Lars, another circus worker called Augie, and Sirius had gone across to scout ahead. There was a massive, centuries-old bridge spanning a chasm, and the rest of the circus were waiting on the near side of the bridge.

Zeetha, Agatha, Harry and Hermione, having finished their morning's physical training early and had a quick meal, wandered up to where Payne, Punch, Judy, Krosp (who was perched on Punch's shoulder), Abner and Remus looked out across the bridge. "What's the matter?" Agatha asked, sensing the tension in the air.

"Lars, Augie and Sirius have gone to scout ahead," Judy said. "And they should have been back some time ago." This last part was added rather grimly.

"Have they got Portkeys?" Hermione asked.

"Padfoot made sure even the horses did," Remus said grimly. "But if you forget about them in a panic…or are knocked out…"

"And it's more than that wild Jäger's warning that has me worried," Payne remarked. "Moxana's game has become somewhat ominous lately. Something is going to happen…something big."

"Moxana?" Agatha asked.

Judy smirked. "You're slipping, Payne. You shouldn't mention the name of one of the Muses so casually."

As Payne winced, Agatha looked at him flatly. "You have one of the Muses."

"I overheard him mentioning Moxana once or twice," Judy said. "And the games she played. I know more about the Muses than most non-Sparks. And no, I'm not telling anyone who doesn't need to know."

"And yet, you just mentioned her to a Spark who may just take her apart," Payne said.

"Agatha wouldn't do that to a living being," Judy said, glancing back at Agatha. "Well, unless they angered her."

"Even a Clank?"

"I'd be more interested in talking to her, finding out what van Rijn or the Storm King were like," Agatha said. "Imagine the history you could learn just by talking to one of the Muses."

Payne shot a glance at the blonde, before smiling a little ruefully. "Yes. Sadly, Moxana cannot talk. She generally communicates through games. On occasion, she will deign to write her responses, but she generally prefers using, for example, tarot cards. If only Tinka was still here."

"Another Muse?" Hermione asked.

Payne nodded, grimly. "She was…taken from us. By Aaronev Sturmvoraus VI, the current Prince of Sturmhalten. He suspected what Tinka was. And Moxana misses her dearly. Unfortunately, Aaronev's laws are those we have to follow in his lands."

"We will part ways with you before then," Judy said.

"Wait a moment," Harry said, a thought occurring to him. "The Muses are famous, right? How come they're in a travelling show without being recognised normally?"

"Camouflage," Payne said. "Many travelling shows pretended to have real Muses over the years, but used run-of-the-mill Clanks instead, so the real Muses could travel with such shows and not raise an eyebrow, normally."

"Hiding trees in a forest, so to speak?" Hermione asked. Payne harrumphed an affirmative.

"It's rather ingenious," Agatha said. "I seem to be running into legends more and more these days."

Krosp looked askance at her. "You're pretty much a living legend yourself, Agatha. Don't let it get to your head."

Harry nodded, but he found his thoughts turned to darker subjects. They had been for some time. Neville, Luna, Bill and Fleur hadn't responded to their Patronus messages. And Fawkes, when they decided to send the Phoenix off to find them, hadn't returned. That was very concerning, to say the least. And with the Baron looking for them, along with Dumbledore, Snape and Moody, things were getting fraught. At least you could reason with the Baron, so being caught by him, while a problem, wouldn't necessarily be a wholly bad thing. Dumbledore, however, seemed fixated on causing Harry's death, and Snape looked, as he often did, too willing to oblige. And Harry would be damned before he gave the old fart or the greasy-haired twat the satisfaction.

And that was without going into what they had learned. About Lucrezia being the Other, and being in a strange indeterminate state between life and death. About Zeetha's parentage. Though the former was certainly more concerning. If she wasn't dead, and wasn't actually alive, what the hell was she? Something told him, this was too much like the whole Voldemort situation, especially in light of that stuff about Horcruxes he had learned about. And while Punch and Judy hadn't been that willing (or able) to divulge particulars, they had hinted that Barry had rescued Agatha from the Gesiterdamen working for Lucrezia, which may mean that Lucrezia may have a plan in mind for Agatha. And he'd be damned before he let her be pulled back into that.

His attitude towards Agatha was…complicated. What he felt towards her couldn't be called love, not in the romantic sense, anyway, soulbond or not. It might get there, and he knew she was a friend. And that was the point. He was protective of her, and while she could defend herself, and was getting better at it thanks to Zeetha's training, he didn't want her to be forced to if he could help it.

They were very alike in many ways, he thought. Famous because of something they didn't do themselves. With Harry, it was his Boy Who Lived status, though he also shared something of Agatha, of the fame of her forebears, especially their respective fathers. With him, he also had to deal with the fame of the Marauders. With Agatha, it was the infamy of the Heterodynes in general, and the fame and heroic reputation of the Heterodyne Boys in particular.

"They've been gone for too long," Remus muttered quietly. "And I would have thought we would have heard spellfire by now if they encountered anything."

Krosp nodded. "Something's wrong, I can feel it."

"…Umm, Master Payne?" Abner asked as he peered through his telescope. "They're coming back. Only, one of them's missing. Looks like Mr Black's not there."

A couple of horses and their riders were cantering along the bridge, but something was setting their instincts screaming. The horses seemed skittish, and they thought they could hear a soft, but noticeable thud, more than the noise of hooves along the bridge. Remus looked at the eyes of the two riders, Lars and Augie, through the telescope, and scowled. "Their expressions are wrong…wait…shit, they're riding with passengers wearing Invisibility Cloaks! I saw someone's leg poking through! I think they're Imperiused! Get ready to move!"

Payne, accepting the urgency of the situation, began to give the orders, only for a warcry in another language to ring out. "Master Payne!" screamed one of the circus workers. "There's a Geisterdamen behind us!"

They whirled to find a massive, white spider towering over them, blocking their escape from behind. And mounted on it was a woman in armour. Her skin, hair and eyes were all pale white. In a voice laden with a thick accent, she called out, "Do not try to escape. We seek the Heterodyne Girl and the one called Potter. Hand them over immediately."

Hermione cursed when she saw the riders tagging along with Lars and Augie unveil themselves: Dumbledore and Snape. The former waved a wand behind them, revealing the form of another Geisterdamen mounted on a massive spider, concealed by a Disillusionment spell. "Now, Remus, my dear boy, hand over Harry and the girl, and nobody else need be hurt," Dumbledore said.

Judy merely had one thing to say. "Adam, dear?" she asked, using her husband's alias.

The hulking Construct smirked, before beginning to flick rivets with his fingers at their foes, concentrating on those blocking the bridge. This may seem like it was a silly thing to do, but Punch could flick rivets at a speed comparable to a rifle bullet. He could even vary the speed so that the rivet would injure, but not penetrate the person, even winding them with a well-aimed rivet.

His first salvo was directed at the Gesiterdamen's head (a non-lethal hit, meant to concuss so that they could interrogate her later), the spider's head (a lethal hit), and a rivet apiece at the wand hands of the enemy wizards (their heads were partly shielded by their hostages). The Geisterdamen managed to block with her sword the rivet heading for her head, but her mount wasn't so lucky, the head exploding in a shower of green gore. And the wizards were canny enough to bring up shield charms, the rivets bouncing off them. Punch clicked his tongue in irritation. He'd have to fire them harder, even if it meant taking off their hands.

With an ululating warcry, the other Geisterdamen urged her mount to attack. Before Punch could follow up with more rivets, Dumbledore used an Expelliarmus on Punch, causing his rivets to fly everywhere (and the burly Construct himself to smash into his wife and fellow Construct, knocking them out, along with a good chunk of the other circus folk, like a bowling ball into pins), and then followed it up with a Finite Incantatem in rapid succession, the latter removing the magical disguises placed on Harry, Agatha, and the others. "There they are!" Dumbledore yelled, pointing at Harry and Agatha, who were sticking together.

The Geisterdamen leapt from her fallen mount into the fray, batting spells aside with her sword, only for Zeetha to get in the way, blocking the albino woman's sword with her own. " _D'Jorok'ku Skifandias von?!_ " the Geisterdamen snarled, in Zeetha's native tongue.

" _Zur baken Skiff?!_ " Zeetha yelped(1).

"Of course I do," the Geisterdamen retorted. She managed to break the block, but Zeetha whirled and kicked the woman away.

"Your accent is atrocious, _tourist_ ," Zeetha scoffed, only to have to dodge the leg of the remaining giant spider. "And I ain't afraid of spiders!"

 _Ron'd be pissing himself, though_ , Harry reflected as he kept his attention on Dumbledore and Snape, who were managing to throw a shitload of spells at them. Then again, they had human shields to hide behind, and an attempt by Hermione to use a Summoning Charm to get Lars and Augie to safety failed. Even as the still-conscious minor Sparks tried to use their weapons on the attackers, Harry decided he'd had enough of playing. Hoping he wouldn't get too much flak for this, he fired off the most powerful Cutting Curse he could manage at one of the horses, the one with Snape on it. The curse tore through its torso, the shield charm mostly protecting its passengers rather than the horse, and it collapsed with a choking, distressed cry that would haunt Harry for years to come. Assuming he lived that long. The bright side was, while Lars was thrown free, Snape had one of his legs trapped beneath the horse.

Another Cutting Curse sped towards the horse Dumbledore was on, but Dumbledore managed to pump more energy into his shield, preventing the Cutting Curse from hitting him. Then, Lars seemed to rouse himself from his Imperius-induced stupor, before he began attacking Snape. "You bastard! Screw with my mind like I'm a Revenant?!" he yelled.

Snape, however, snarled, " _Sectumsempra!_ " And suddenly, as Snape slashed the air near his opponent, Lars' throat was sliced open, arterial spray filling the air in a crimson fountain. And as they were distracted, staring in horror, Snape and Dumbledore used Summoning Charms to snatch Harry and Agatha respectively.

"Eotain! Shurdlu! Now!" Dumbledore yelled, before Harry, in a daze, felt the familiar sensation of the hook in the navel that portended a Portkey…

* * *

Agatha was really beginning to hate magical travel. Near-instant teleportation over long distances was something that should be a good thing, but it didn't need to feel like she was being in perpetual danger of being disembowelled while being hauled along some ultra-fast rocket. Hmm, maybe she should invent one of those. A rocket, sans disembowelling hook…

This went through her mind in the brief moment it took for them to travel from Passholdt to…wherever their destination was. But even as Dumbledore hauled her to her feet, and Snape hauled Harry to his own, they sprang into action, Agatha and Harry kneeing their respective captors in the cojones.

They made to dash out the door of what seemed like a dungeon in a castle, only for another Geisterdamen to appear. She was not dressed in the armour the other two were, instead in colourful and expensive-looking robes. "So you have arrived, at long last. The Holy Child. I am Lady Vrin."

"Hello," Agatha said, before Harry sent Vrin flying with a Banishing Charm.

"Goodbye," Harry said, as he ran with Agatha's hand in his own out of the door, and began running down the corridor, only to have a pair of Stunners hit them from behind. They collapsed to the floor, not knowing whether they'd wake up again.

* * *

Vrin got to her feet shakily in time to see Dumbledore aim his wand at the dark-haired boy. With a snarl, she tore the wand from his hand, and glared. It was matched by Dumbledore's own. "The boy will die."

"And if the process goes wrong, I will need leverage against the girl," Vrin snapped. "If these two have regard for each other, then he is needed alive. If all goes according to plan, then you will be allowed to kill him."

"And Black?" Snape asked.

"Secure," Vrin said. "You may torture him at your leisure."

"Oh, good," Snape said, his grin vicious and devoid of any real mirth. "And Moody?"

"The wasp-implanting experiment was not a success. He became a Revenant," Vrin remarked. The scarred, grizzled fool had had qualms about this, and had tried to interfere.

" _Lady Vrin?_ " That was Shurdlu's voice, speaking their language, as she and Eotain emerged from down the corridor, having used a separate Portkey to come to a cellar area, one that could hold their spider mounts. Judging by the look on Eotain's face, though, she had lost hers. " _We have set the creatures of Passholdt on the circus using the pheromones provided. Even if they survive, it will delay them._ "

" _Excellent. You have done well, sisters. Soon, we will have Our Lady back with us. And we can dispense with the old fool_ ," Vrin said. She looked thoughtfully at the dark-haired wizard, and smiled. Maybe Harry Potter would do well with a Slaver Wasp inside him, and be a potent tool under their Lady's control. And then, Lucrezia would take her rightful place as the ruler of the world…

 **CHAPTER 13 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **And on that bombshell, good night!**

 **Okay, well, I was considering avoiding the whole Sturmhalten mess. But in the end, I thought it would keep the story interesting to have it done anyway, but in a different manner. Harry's soulbond with Agatha will help matters when she gets the copy of Mummy Dearest downloaded into her noggin (and yes, that is still gonna happen). Plus, Tarvek will meet Agatha under different circumstances to** ** _Girl Genius_** **canon.**

 **Plus, Dumbledore's going to be backed into a corner, which is going to make him do something stupid before long. And what's more, he has a sympathetic ear with Tarvek and Anevka.**

 **Oh, and sorry, Lars fans, for killing him off so suddenly.**

 **Now, what happened to Fawkes, Luna, and the others? I admit, I hadn't thought about what happened to Neville, Luna, and so on until now. But I have an idea, and it'll pay off later. No, they're not in Sturmhalten.**

 **1\. I used these quotes from Zeetha's confrontation with Klaus. One of the possible translations, which I what I'm using here, is the first phrase meaning, "A Skifandrian warrior, here?!" and "Are you speaking Skiff?!"**


	15. Chapter 14: The Other, Reborn

**CHAPTER 14:**

 **THE OTHER, REBORN**

Dumbledore stormed, fuming, from the dungeon area after Vrin gave her orders. He had had enough of the disrespect that damned woman was showing him. Harry Potter needed to die now! Not soon, _now!_ Leverage against the Heterodyne Girl was irrelevant. Harry had a knack for escaping, and yet, Vrin seemed to think she could deal with him. Perhaps she could infect him with a Slaver Wasp, but even that potentially gave him opportunities to cause mischief. And Snape was showing more loyalty to that damned woman than to him! Albus Dumbledore! The man who had kept Snape out of prison! The man who had annulled…well, transferred the debt he had to James Potter! The man he promised could watch as Harry Potter died.

But for all of his singlemindedness, he did have enough savvy, even in this twisted world, to know where to go.

He soon found his quarry, a most extraordinary figure. It looked like a metal doll, the size and shape of a woman, dressed in finery, its face merely painted on, its red tresses merely a wig. Cables and tubes connected it to a large vat with a variety of mechanisms and controls on it, held by a group of servants who resembled pallbearers at a funeral struggling with a particularly heavy coffin.

She had been talking with an aristocratic red-haired young man of Agatha and Harry's age, with pince-nez glasses perched on his nose. They looked up when he entered. "Ah, Albus," the doll said, its voice that of a girl in her late teens, albeit with a slight metallic flange to it. "You look unduly flustered. Was the retrieval mission a failure?"

"No. Indeed, it was a success. Vrin is bringing them to your father now, and you know what that means," Dumbledore said.

He didn't need to spell it out. While Anevka Sturmvoraus and her older brother Tarvek were well-enmeshed in the conspiracy around The Other, as well as a plot to bring about the rise of the Storm King once more, they had their own ambitions, their own plans. Many of those within Sturmhalten were asymptomatic Revenants, ready and willing to do their mistress' will.

And Anevka and Tarvek had ambitions for the top. They would certainly have fit into Slytherin, or Ravenclaw. However, their ambitions also meant that they (or at least Anevka) didn't want anyone to scupper their chances. They wanted Anevka's voice synthesiser to be able to mimic The Other enough so that Revenants would obey them…along with the Geisterdamen. While having The Other come back to life would give them plenty of chances to copy that, it also meant having to deal with The Other, namely Lucrezia Mongfish. A megalomaniac, by all accounts.

Anevka and Tarvek shared a look. "Then we had better go and congratulate father, shall we, Tarvek?"

"Indeed we shall," Tarvek said as they got up. "Please, follow us, Professor Dumbledore. I would like some back-up if things go sour."

Dumbledore nodded. At least the older Sturmvoraus sibling showed him some respect. Then again, the girl was little more than an automaton, what remained of her body kept in a vat that kept her alive, while connected to a Clank. She had been subjected to the Summoning Engine her father used on subjects to try and bring Lucrezia back to life, and had nearly died. In fact, she was dying, albeit slowly, until Tarvek created the life-support system that was even now being carried by footmen.

Now, there was a reason that Dumbledore hadn't destroyed the Summoning Engine, as much as it sounded like Voldemort and his Horcruxes. His brushes with death trying to deal with said artifacts made him acutely aware of his own mortality, as had the attacks on him by traitors like the Weasleys and Granger. Too devoted to the person of Harry Potter, and unwilling to allow him to stay an ideal. Harry Potter was better as a symbol, not a person.

While Dumbledore desired power, it was indirect power, rather than the direct power fools like Voldemort or Grindlewald wielded. And he had been hoping to shape Harry into his protégé if he survived Voldemort, until the events in the Department of Mysteries proved otherwise. Harry became a martyr, a symbol of the resistance, and he needed to remain that way.

However, after learning of the purpose of the Summoning Engine, Dumbledore had initially recoiled, until his mind began looking over the possibilities. He had spent some of his time discreetly investigating how the machine worked, and was confident that he could replicate it back home…only with a copy of his own mind. He would then insert a copy of his mind into a trusted successor. Or at least someone he knew would not be objectionable. Options had become limited since the schism in the Order of the Phoenix. Or maybe he could somehow inveigle Gilderoy Lockhart into using said device: he was handsome, charming, and there was plenty of space in his head even before the Memory Charm incident.

Yes, that would work out very well…

* * *

Vrin fought to keep a scowl off her face as Aaronev bustled around the apparatus they were securing the Holy Child to in the castle's chapel. While normally the Summoning Engine required little preparation to use, a few of the vital components had broken, and he was replacing them. "How much longer, Aaronev?" she snapped impatiently as she tied Harry to a nearby chair.

"Lady Vrin," Aaronev said with rebuke in his tone, "I don't think you understand quite how delicate this apparatus is. If we are to bring Lucrezia back into the world, then it has to be done correctly. If this truly is Lucrezia's child, then I don't want to risk killing her in the process, as that would mean that you kill me, or torture me. I wouldn't be surprised if that bearded old goat sabotaged something, or else damaged something while examining it. He's got interest in this machine, you know."

Vrin raised a silvery eyebrow. "Does he, now? I wonder why. And I agree with your prudence, Aaronev, as I would punish you most severely if things go wrong. Not kill you, as you are more useful alive than dead, but I can certainly break something. At least the girls you tested before are useless."

"My daughter is far from useless," Aaronev snapped back.

"No, she is worse: she is ambitious, Aaronev, and more than willing to drive a dagger into your back. Not that much different from the rest of the Sturmvoraus family, true, but she is closest to you. Better that she died when exposed to the Summoning Engine than lingered long enough for your son to salvage her. And speaking of which, I'm still not certain of your son's loyalties, but I doubt he has the stomach to consider patricide."

"My son is ambitious in his own way. He may not have the same edge as some, but I have no doubt he would take hold of any opportunity he is given," Aaronev said. "By the way, where are your sisters?"

"Shurdlu is standing guard, in case your daughter or Dumbledore tries anything," Vrin said. "Eotain is mourning for her mount. And I have managed to gain reassurance from that man Snape that the wards will prevent their fellow wizards from simply waltzing in here."

"I don't trust him."

"I trust him more than Dumbledore. He is a man who has been treated like a rabid dog on a leash, which is admittedly close to reality…and he is an intensely self-centred man. But as I have treated him as less of a lackey than either of his masters did, neither Voldemort or Dumbledore, his loyalty is secured for now. He despises Dumbledore, being beholden to him, and despises this boy."

A rasping laugh came from the waking Harry Potter. "So, what are you going to do with me? Let Snape torture me?" Harry rasped.

"No. I think, if this procedure is successful, we can use a Slaver Wasp on you, the new type," Vrin said. "A wizard under the control of Our Lady would be useful."

"Your lady…you mean Agatha's mother…Lucrezia Mongfish…The Other…" Harry said.

"Call her what you wish, heathen," Vrin said, her voice cold and calm, not quite friendly, but certainly not antagonistic. "Regardless of what she was once…her power is very real. And don't bother trying to escape. Snape was helpful enough to supply us with a potion that suppresses your magic temporarily. There is no escape, no rescue. Be thankful, Harry Potter. You will witness the advent of Our Lady."

"By downloading her into Agatha, my friend?!" Harry snarled. "Her own fucking daughter?!"

"You say that like you think you have any chance of swaying my opinion. Still, I can't deny your passion and determination. I really hope that our experimental Slaver Wasp will work on you, unlike it did with that man Moody. That fire within you should burn brightly for Our Lady."

"I'd rather die," Harry snarled.

"He sounds a lot like one of the Heterodyne Boys, or at least how they talk in the plays," Aaronev remarked.

Vrin felt her anger well up within her, and stormed over to him. "I have warned you not to speak of those…apostates in my presence again!"

"I ignored you. The Heterodyne Boys are dead, or else impotent. Otherwise, they would have moved against us more decisively. You worry a little too much, Vrin. Our main enemies are the Wulfenbachs and the backstabbers within my family and our plot," Aaronev said. "The Heterodyne Boys are no longer an issue."

"I'll believe that when I see their corpses!" Vrin snapped. "Speaking of them may just tempt fate enough for them to come back from whatever forsaken corner of the world they are hiding in! The Heterodynes interfered with Our Lady's plans too many times!"

"Well, this is one plan they won't be interfering with," Aaronev said rather smugly. "The preparations are virtually complete. That being said, I'd suggest making haste. The old meddler may very well have tipped off my children, and I know Anevka will want to interfere."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Vrin asked.

Aaronev gestured towards the lever. "I thought you would do the honours. Or would you prefer we do it together, so you can be sure it's not booby-trapped?"

After a moment, Vrin said, "Together, then." The pair of them put their hand on the switch.

"Stop it!" Harry yelled, trying to break free. "I won't let you do this to her!"

Vrin just rolled her monochromatic eyes, before she snapped, "Now!" The switch was pulled down, and a field of electricity briefly surrounded Agatha, though not seemingly doing anything to her.

However, as the process warmed up, there was a sudden commotion from behind the door, and suddenly, with a shout of "BOMBARDA!", the door shattered, and the figure of Shurdlu came flying in, her limbs at unnatural angles. Dumbledore, along with Anevka and Tarvek, strode in. "Cease this procedure at once!"

"I do not take orders from you, old one!"

"No," Anevka said. Then, she raised her hand. "Let's see if this works based on the studies I've made. Kneel, Vrin."

There was something in the mechanical girl's voice that had Vrin nearly obeying. But she snarled, "No, your tricks won't work on me!" She leapt at Anevka, only for the mechanical girl to blast her back with electricity, sending her sprawling into a control panel that exploded in a shower of sparks.

At that moment, a single strange note boomed forth from a nearby organ. Agatha started to spasm and writhe in the chair-like apparatus, convulsing, her mouth open in a wordless, silent scream. "AGATHAAAA!" Harry screamed, his voice making up in volume what Agatha seemingly couldn't do.

As Dumbledore slashed his wand down, unleashing a curse on Harry, Harry, in the nick of time, managed to tip the chair over. Unfortunately, it would not save him from a second attack.

However, a very enraged Vrin, looking rather frazzled but not actually dead, leapt at Anevka. Dumbledore, on instinct, whirled to attack, as he was not that far out of the line of fire, but she smashed him into Anevka, knocking both to the floor. "For your insolence, you both deserve death." She kicked Dumbledore unconscious, leaving the old man on top of Anevka. "But I have to be sure." Her eyes flickered up to Tarvek. "Will you be trouble?"

Tarvek held up his hands. "Not at all. But it seems the process has finished, Lady Vrin."

* * *

Harry stared from where he lay on the floor at Agatha, where she sat, slumped in the bizarre chair, so much like an electric chair. And in a way, it was a form of execution. If it had succeeded, Agatha would have died, supplanted by her mother.

At the moment, though, Agatha stared blankly into space, the rise and fall of her breasts the only sign that she was still alive. A little trail of drool trickled from her lips.

No, he felt something. Something that told him, whatever had happened, Agatha was still alive in that body. Even if Lucrezia was in there, Agatha was too.

"Damnation," Aaronev snapped, glaring at the apparatus on the walls. "I hope we got it right this time, because repairing this is going to be a task and a half!"

Vrin went over to Agatha, stopping briefly to check on the health of her fellow Geisterdamen. Nodding, she then went to Agatha, grasping her by the chin, and then removing the restraints. She spoke to Agatha in her own language. For some reason, Harry now could understand it. " _My Lady…can you hear me? Can you understand me?_ "

"Gominal," Agatha whispered.

"Another vegetable, Father?" sneered the mechanical girl from where she was on the floor.

"Silence!" Aaronev snapped. "If it weren't for your interference, Anevka, this wouldn't have happened!"

Vrin, after a moment, viciously slapped Agatha across the face. "Useless!" She then turned on Anevka and Dumbledore. "As for you two…"

Suddenly, Harry saw Agatha stand up. Except…this wasn't Agatha. It was her body, but the way she moved…

"You did it…" Agatha whispered. No, not Agatha. Lucrezia Mongfish. _The Other_. She cackled. "Oh, you finally did it! I can't believe that you actually found her! I'M BAAAACK!"

 **CHAPTER 14 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, it's been a while. I was struggling to figure out how to do this chapter. Unlike canon, Aaronev is alive to see his mistress reborn.**

 **Now, it's worth pointing out that after some consideration, I decided to keep Agatha getting her mother put into her head. Lucrezia is too interesting a character, and it also gives Harry and Agatha some conflict in trying to deal with her.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Zorobak** **: I actually disagree. Bringing Lucrezia in not only allows for a fresh source of conflict to be brought in, but I think she's an interesting character. If you don't like that, well, feel free to stop reading.**

 **OBSERVER01** **: Well, Dumbledore's definitely getting there.**

 **Jostanos** **: *rolls eyes* You forgot 'my hovercraft is full of eels'.**

 **Technomad** **: That's a very good question. I'd like to think that Klaus (or rather, one of the Sparks under his aegis) has developed a very early form of radar, or something similar. Of course, it only goes to show that I've got to be careful with figures of speech, right?**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	16. Chapter 15: Fighting Back

**CHAPTER 15:**

 **FIGHTING BACK**

Harry stared in absolute horror as Lucrezia moved around, getting used to her new body. He had horrific flashbacks to that time that felt like an eternity ago, when Voldemort was revived in that graveyard. It felt too much like that time. Vrin was prostrating herself on the floor, while Aaronev was looking at her in beatific awe.

Eventually, Aaronev took Agatha's glasses, which had been removed before she was placed in the Summoning Engine, and proffered them to her. Lucrezia took them, bemused, but placed them on. "Ah, much better. Thank you, Wilhelm, though I must say, you're older than I thought you'd be."

"It has been many years, but I live to serve, my Lady," Aaronev said with a brief bow.

"Indeed, though it seems someone made a mess," Lucrezia remarked. She looked over at Tarvek, and smirked. "Your son, is it? My, he's the spitting image of you when you were young. Only better looking. But who are these? My, did you have a party for my homecoming, and we have some gatecrashers?"

"Of a sort. The old man is a wizard, believe it or not, and a rather meddlesome sort. The Clank he is on top of is my daughter, who is altogether too young for such an old man to be on top of her in such a manner."

"All of my **_hate_** ," Anevka growled, her elocution leaving her in her anger.

"The boy tied up in the chair is a friend of your daughter's, apparently. Lady Vrin brought him to keep as a hostage in case things didn't work," Aaronev concluded.

"Ah, that's right!" Lucrezia said, snapping her fingers, as she knelt down next to Shurdlu. In a quiet, angry tone, she asked, "Who did this to her?"

"The old man."

Lucrezia glared at Dumbledore. "I will deal with him later." She then went over to Vrin. In Geisterspeak, which Harry wasn't sure why he could understand it now, she said, " _Vrin…why is your hair cut?_ "

" _It…it's a mark of my shame, Lady_ ," she said. " _Your gateway and most of your device plans were destroyed when you first sent us here. None of us, even I, your High Priestess, could not do so. We were cut off from you…by saboteurs._ " As Lucrezia glared at her, Vrin added, hurriedly, " _That is why we sought out Prince Aaronev, the man you counted as one of your best allies. With his help, we were able to stay safe, even rebuilt this machine, imperfectly though it may have been_ …" She began to weep. " _And I found her, Lady! The child! Everything worked, you are now here, and I can beg now for your forgiveness instead of offering empty prayers!_ "

" _Tell me, Vrin…I sent more than enough guards with you, and I know you to be more than competent in using them_ ," Lucrezia said, her voice icy. " _Who destroyed the gate?_ "

"… _One of us. The Lore Mistress Milvistle, she doubted your divinity…and while she is dead…there is much to suggest that she was far from alone._ "

Lucrezia roared, and picked Vrin up by the shoulders, slamming her into a nearby control panel. " _Traitors and heretics, even amongst_ _ **my**_ _priestesses?!_ " she snarled.

"Wow, showing real skill in employee relations there," Harry snarked, as he tried to wriggle free. "I can see why people want to work with you."

Lucrezia let Vrin go, before whirling to face Harry, her face in a paroxysm of rage, that eventually dissolved into a smirk, before she began laughing. "Employee relations…" she snickered. "Do you know my former beau, Klaus von Wulfenbach? He once wrote a monograph on employee relations and communication in the workplace, called _Don't Make Me Come Over There_. He showed me the draft once. Did he ever publish it, Wilhelm?"

"Indeed, my Lady," Aaronev said with a smile. "All seven popes promptly called for it to be burned."

"That's weird," Harry said. "Agatha and I met him for a time, and he seemed better at employee relations than you."

"Met…him…" Lucrezia turned to Aaronev. "Wilhelm, is Klaus actually present in Europe?"

"Sadly, yes. I have little time to explain the details now, but he now presides over an empire that stretches across most of Europe, and he has worked hard against your schemes, my Lady. He came back only a few years after his disappearance."

Lucrezia seemed torn between fury and…was that wistful admiration? "I should have known," she muttered. "It seems I do have much to learn about the state of Europe. Does his rule stretch over Paris, then? England?"

"The Master of Paris Simon Voltaire and Her Undying Majesty Queen Albia are the only Sparks known to wholly resist his designs," Tarvek spoke up.

Lucrezia scoffed. "I'm sure even Klaus would find it difficult to pit himself against that antediluvian hag doddering around her underwater gardens, trimming hedges, given the power she wields against all, including her own subjects. And the Master of Paris, while old, is not without power, though I did have plans for dealing with them both eventually."

As Lucrezia spoke, Harry felt a pressure down their link. He could feel…something. Agatha's presence, he realised. A babble that finally became a semi-coherent stream of words. _HarryHarrycanyouhearmeitsmepleasedontbefooledshestrappedme_ …

 _Agatha, I can hear you_ , he sent back, hoping she could hear him.

After a moment, she sent back, _Oh. Harry, it's dark. I can't see or hear anything. I felt her presence, heard her voice for a time, and now, I'm in the darkness. Harry, how can we speak? Is it the soul-bond?_

 _Probably. Agatha, your mother's taken over your body. She's doing the whole 'gloating about her plans' thing. They've dosed me with something that's suppressed my magic…but I think it's coming back. Now, I need you to try and fight, as hard as you can._

 _I…I'll try._

 _Right. I'm going to try something_.

Harry realised that Lucrezia had come up to him, and asked him something. "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention. When you hear one megalomaniacal speech, you've heard them all."

"You know, your tongue wags rather unwisely," Lucrezia said, using the stolen lips of her daughter. "I was just wondering about what I could do with you. Seeing since you are, allegedly, a wizard. Hmm, vivisecting you seems rather hasty. I wonder what sort of tricks you can do?"

Harry grinned viciously. "Alakazam," he said, before he shifted back into his owl form for the first time in a long time. The ropes fell off him, and he flew up into Lucrezia's face, batting at her with his wings. As she stumbled back, Harry shifted back again, and launched a wandless Stunner at her, sending her reeling. More Stunners sent Vrin and Aaronev flying.

Lucrezia was staggering around, and Harry, after a moment, grabbed her hand and began dragging her out of the room, pausing only to snatch Dumbledore's wand…no, his wand. That old bastard had been wielding his wand. He leapt over Dumbledore and Anevka, who was still under Dumbledore, now trying to get free. Harry barged past Tarvek, who began running after them. Harry suddenly grabbed him, and then hauled them into a nearby passage, slamming the redhead into the wall. "Where's Sirius?!" Harry hissed.

"Who?"

"Sirius Black, the man your people kidnapped!"

"You mean that wizard the old man and that greasy-haired guy were going on about?" Tarvek asked. "Look, I don't know, I was with my sister when, I presume, you were brought in. I'm Aaronev Tarvek Sturmvoraus, by the way. You?"

"Harry Potter, and this is Agatha Heterodyne, though Lucrezia Mongfish is in the driver seat at the moment," Harry said.

The girl moaned as her eyes flickered open, and muttered, "No, not at the moment."

"Agatha?" Harry asked. The blonde nodded, giving a tired smile, and Harry felt an absurd surge of relief.

After a moment, Tarvek said, "Look, Sirius Black's probably in one of the dungeons. I'll take you down there. Just know if you get caught, I'm claiming you threatened me."

"And why should I follow you?" Harry demanded suspiciously.

Tarvek, after a moment, said, "Because I get a vicarious thrill out of seeing my father's plans get scuppered. Is that good enough for you?"

"…For now," Harry said.

* * *

Tarvek led them through a number of obscure passages through the castle. As they did so, Harry demanded, "Why the hell has your father got that thing? You know, the mind-downloading thing? And for that matter, where are we, actually?"

"In reverse order, you're in my family's castle at Sturmhalten," Tarvek said. "And my father has an obsession with The Other. He keeps it well-hidden from the Baron and his cronies, but, well, you saw how he treated The Other."

Agatha frowned. "You sound like you don't like the Baron, either."

"Who does?" Tarvek scoffed.

"For a dictator leading an empire across most of Europe, he seemed pretty reasonable. We just left because of differences of opinion," Harry snarked. "I'm not saying he's likeable, just that he's less objectionable than just about every other megalomaniac I have met, and I have met quite a few. And that was before I encountered Sparks for the first time."

Tarvek, after a moment, said, "Your life must've been rather strange, then. Then again, considering that you have powers like you used against Lucrezia and the others…"

"Harry," Agatha said quietly. "That Patronus spell…it can be used to send messages, right?"

Harry nodded. "I don't think I have ever used it like that, but…you want me to send a message for help?"

"Once we find Sirius, yes," Agatha said.

"And what was your sister trying to do with her voice?" Harry asked. "Hell, why is she a robot?"

"A robot?" Tarvek asked, confused.

Agatha answered for Harry. "He means a Clank, it's what they call them where he comes from."

"Oh. Robot…sounds a bit like the Czech 'robota', for forced servitude. That's odd," Tarvek remarked in annoyance(1). "But if you didn't notice, the _Clank_ was connected to a life-support tank. That's where…what's left of my sister remains. She controls the Clank via the cables. As for her voice…many of our servants have Slaver Wasps within them, and they, along with the Geisterdamen, have an automatic compulsion to obey anything Lucrezia Mongfish tells them to. Anevka has been modifying her voice to have the command harmonics Lucrezia's voice had." He looked at Agatha. "She'd have strapped you down and analysed your voice. And then probably killed you."

"And you?"

"I have my own plans, but they've been put on hold for now," Tarvek said. "Quite frankly, I hated what my father did to all those girls, including my own sister. That's why she is in that vat: she was the only one unlucky enough to survive the process…"

* * *

Anevka finally managed to push off the unconscious body of Dumbledore and get to her feet. Her Clank body wasn't exactly designed for feats of brute strength, and the cables and tubes linking her to her original body made things awkward. She then stormed over to her father, who only now was regaining consciousness, and spitefully electrocuted him, reducing him to a juddering, convulsing burnt lump of meat. As the discharge charred her wig and clothes, causing burnt rags to fall off her metallic body, she clicked her tongue (or at least a similar noise emanated from her speaker) in irritation. "I really do have to be careful with that in future," she muttered. "That was my favourite dress." Then, as Vrin stirred, she shocked her back into unconsciousness. "Be thankful I need a living scapegoat to present to the Baron," Anevka sneered.

Dumbledore finally regained consciousness, getting to his feet groggily. "Anevka?" he slurred, a little concussed. "What happened?"

"It's a long story. The short version is that these two succeeded. And that damned wizard brat escaped with the girl. My brother's gone after them," Anevka said. If she still had a proper jaw instead of a painted mouth, she'd be gritting her teeth. "They shouldn't get far with those wards you put in place, but…"

"If I know Harry," Dumbledore said, wincing, "he's gone to rescue Black first before he tries to escape this castle."

"Then we had better hope my brother stops them, or else our servants do. You are old and concussed, and while this Clank body can run pretty fast, the servants carrying my life-support apparatus can't."

"Don't worry," Dumbledore said, giving a rather lopsided grin due to malice and concussion. "Severus will be able to stop them."

* * *

Harry blew the door open to the dungeon where he heard the screams. Tarvek didn't even need to show him the exact door, only the general dungeon area. Snape was standing over a manacled Sirius, a wand in his hand, clearly using the Cruciatus, before Harry barged his way in. "Don't stop me now!" Harry sung, though his singing was a little off-key.

"Impossible!" Snape snarled. "You…" Snape was about to slash his wand at Harry, only for Harry to beat him to the punch with an Expelliarmus that slammed him none too gently into the wall, knocking him out.

Harry unlocked Sirius' manacles, and helped the man down. "Agatha, are you still okay?"

"For now. But I've got a feeling The Other…my mother, she will take over the moment I lose consciousness," Agatha said. "We need some means to suppress her permanently. Remember how I said we could use the Patronus to send messages?" She gathered herself, before she said, quietly, "We need to send one to the Baron." She held up her hand to forestall any protest from Harry or Tarvek. "He's been studying The Other for years, he knows I'm not her, he might be able to find a way to get rid of her!"

Harry stared at Agatha. "But he might lock you up, or even kill you, Agatha," he hissed. "We should send a Patronus to the others."

"I don't think he will kill me if you state what's happened in the Patronus, Harry. And contact the others as well. I can already feel her eroding away at my self-control. I'm not sure we have enough time to work on a solution ourselves, in a hostile castle, surrounded by enemies." Agatha looked at Tarvek. "Will you be willing to help us?"

The redhead eventually said, "As much as it galls me to do anything involving the Baron, needs must as the devil rides out. I'd rather be seen as the hero of this. But Agatha, you don't have to…"

"Yes. I do. Don't worry, Tarvek, we'll make sure you come out of this smelling like roses," Agatha said. She then turned back to Harry. "Send the message."

* * *

In his office, getting an intelligence report from Bangladesh DuPree, Baron Wulfenbach wasn't sure what he had expected when he desired news of Agatha Heterodyne and Harry Potter, but a ghostly, ethereal-looking stag (that Bangladesh promptly tried to slash with her sword) wasn't one of them. But then, it spoke in Harry Potter's voice, in an urgent tone. " _This is Harry Potter. Baron Wulfenbach…we need your help immediately. Agatha and I were kidnapped and brought to Sturmhalten. Prince Aaronev collaborated with the Geisterdamen to force a copy of The Other's mind into Agatha's own. Agatha's mind is still there, but she is wrestling with her mother for control. We are being assisted by Tarvek Sturmvoraus. Dumbledore and Snape are present. We need your help! Please!_ "

As the stag dissipated into silvery mist, Klaus felt a cold chill run down his spine. And now more things were falling into place. He had long suspected Aaronev to have been plotting behind his back, but to still be working with Lucrezia and her associates?

Worst of all, though, was that Agatha now had a copy of Lucrezia in her head. The fact that Harry said that Agatha still existed within her mind, and was fighting for dominance, was heartening. But it was still frightening, that The Other existed once more. At least Klaus knew how it happened.

Eventually, he said, "Captain…prepare to mobilise as many of the unwasped troops we can spare to bring to Sturmhalten, along with the Vespiary Squad." A bitter, rueful, sardonic smile touched his features. "It seems that this time, instead of Bill or Barry, I will have to rescue the fair maiden for a change…"

 **CHAPTER 15 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Agatha's fighting back, Harry has a wand, and Klaus knows about The Other being back. Don't worry, the others will make an appearance soon.**

 **Now, the whole soul-bond thing gives a few little advantages. Harry can speak to Agatha while she's suppressed by her mother, and, while Lucrezia is in control, Harry can understand Geisterspeak.**

 **Also, Agatha contacting the Baron. She does do this in canon, but only later. I think here, she does it quicker partly because she's desperate, and partly because some part of her wants to trust him enough to get The Other out of her head. Because a lot of communications problems have already been smoothed over, Klaus is more willing to accept Agatha on face value. They don't quite trust each other as much as they could or should, but they trust each other more than in canon.**

 **As for Tarvek, while his motivations are a little hard to discern at times, he's still a decent guy, even at this early stage, though he has an appalling tendency to play both sides, even if it is to survive. Here, he's been caught up in a situation beyond his control for now, and so is trying to make the best of it.**

 **Incidentally, I nearly fucked up by having Harry take the Elder Wand, only to realise I had Hermione already taking it from Dumbledore. So here, I had Dumbledore using Harry's own wand. Presumably as a fitting bit of poetic justice, to kill Harry with his own wand.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Jostanos** **: Ha! But really, is 'shaft' an expletive on Pern? I ask for information, as I haven't actually read a Pern book (I've read the first Acorna book, and a couple of the Ship novels, but that's it as far as McCaffrey are concerned).**

 **kyugan** **: Don't worry, Klaus won't get Wasped, unlike canon. That being said, circumstances will conspire to have him cop similar injuries to canon, aside from the Wasping.**

 **1\. The word 'robot' indeed has Czech origins, coming from the play** ** _RUR: Rossum's Universal Robots_** **. In the play, the robots are actually closer to a bioroid (biological android) than the usual metal robots of science fiction.**


	17. Chapter 16: My Mother, The Other

**CHAPTER 16:**

 **MY MOTHER, THE OTHER**

The Patronus message left the group of Harry and Agatha's allies and friends perturbed. They had spent the aftermath of the attack trying to figure out where to track Harry, Agatha, and their attackers. But Point Me spells went nowhere, and calling for Fawkes produced nothing. Hermione was all but tearing out her bushy hair in great clumps in worry. It was Zeetha who proved to be the voice of reason. She said to wait, to calm down, and to think about where Harry and Agatha may have been taken. They repaired the Circus' various wagons, and healed the workers, though Lars and a couple of others had died.

But now, they had confirmation about where Harry and Agatha, along with Sirius, were, and what had happened. Certainly Sturmhalten was one of the first places that Judy had decided to try shortly before they received the Patronus, as it wasn't far. Of course, getting there was going to be a problem. They hadn't actually been to the place, and they'd have to Apparate in short hops. But time was of the essence.

However, Remus had an idea. Setting a Portkey to jump to map coordinates rather than a place they could go to was tricky. But, in consultation with a map, he was trying, writing out Arithmantic equations as he did so. As Remus busied himself, Master Payne spoke to Judy. "Are you going to be all right?" the Construct asked.

"It depends on what you mean by that. If by that, you mean we will be able to make it to the nearest town without assistance, then we are fine," Payne said, before looking over at where the other circus workers were digging holes in the ground. His eyes moistened. "But…given what those monsters did…still, thank you for your assistance in dealing with them. The girl, though…if what you said is true…about her being a Heterodyne…then the Baron…"

"We'll deal with that when the time comes," Judy said. Payne had been present when the Patronus had given its message. "She's told the Baron about her condition because he may be the only one to be able to save her, and as much as I distrust him, she may very well be right. The problem is, with her mother in her head…"

"I know. I saw what carnage and chaos The Other wreaked on Europe," Payne said quietly. "If The Other is truly Lucrezia Mongfish, and she has come back from the grave, or from wherever she is…then it could be bad. You do realise that the Baron may actually kill her if there is no other recourse?"

Judy nodded sadly. "I'm just hoping he will exhaust every possible and even impossible avenue before he does so. If this Portkey works, we may be able to find Agatha before he gets to Sturmhalten. If not, then at least we can ensure he doesn't kill her. I just wish Bill and Barry were still around."

"Then, if I may…" Payne began. When Judy looked at him, he said, "If it's possible to get Tinka back…please do so. Moxana's lonely."

"We'll try," Judy said quietly. "I can't promise anything, though."

"Then perhaps I can be of assistance," growled an unexpected voice. A figure pushed its way through the undergrowth, and then grinned viciously. "I heard part of this conversation," it said, as Judy stared at it in shock. "And I have an… _issue_ with Lucrezia Mongfish…"

* * *

They'd left Snape tied up in Sirius' old cell (killing him was a possibility, but Tarvek pointed out that freeing and reviving Snape would take their pursuers time and delay them, so Harry, reluctantly, agreed, casting the strongest Sleeping Charm he could), and Tarvek had led them down an old passageway. "We won't be able to cross the moat," Tarvek said. "But there are passages leading between the castle and the town via the sewers. But the Geisterdamen use those tunnels themselves."

"Is there a better way out? Like a back door?" Sirius, who had managed to regain consciousness, asked.

Tarvek laughed. "You're in a castle, Mr Black. One that your fellow wizards have warded against your teleportation ability. There is no back door, and going out by the front door would be inadvisable. As cliché as it sounds, we need to get out via the sewers. Believe me, I'm not looking forward to it either."

"Wherever we're going," Agatha said, her eyelids fluttering, "we need to do it quickly. My mother's on the verge of taking control." She began humming that strange tone she had done before, before she shook her head. "That helps keep my thoughts clear, but it's only staving off the inevitable."

"Then we'll tie you up while your mother's in control," Harry said.

"That hum…she's Heterodyning," Tarvek murmured. "I've heard of the stories, but still…how are you going to tie her up? We've got no rope!"

"Wizard, remember?" Harry said, waggling his wand. "Agatha calls it Will-based Transmogrification Force. I just call it magic. And Padfoot, no bondage jokes!"

"I never would have said anything!" Sirius protested. "Anyway, how do you know what bondage is?"

"I stumbled across a magazine Dudley had left out just before my Fifth Year," Harry retorted. "I learned more than I needed to know."

A throaty chuckle emanated from Agatha's throat, and Harry realised too late that he could hear Agatha's voice in his head, warning him. "No such thing, I'm sure."

" _Incarcerous!_ " Harry snarled, and Agatha…no, _Lucrezia_ , was promptly wrapped up in magically conjured ropes.

Lucrezia had a brief flash of annoyance come over her face (well, her daughter's), before she merely smirked, and raised a lascivious eyebrow. "Kinky," she purred.

Harry got into her face, scowling. "You really are a piece of work, aren't you? Taking over your own daughter's body?"

"Oh, that righteous indignation…" she smiled. "You remind me a lot of my husband and brother-in-law. I'm a Spark. There have been Sparks who've done worse in Bill and Barry's family tree. The Heterodynes are feared even more than the Mongfish family for a reason."

Harry listened to Agatha's voice, echoing down their link, and said, quietly, "Agatha says that you should be afraid of her, then." On Lucrezia's confused look, he tapped the side of his head. "We have a link, a soul-bond if you can believe it. When you're in control, she can talk to me. She probably needs to, to stay sane in that sensory deprivation you force her into. That's her words, not mine."

"Oh? Poor girl," Lucrezia said with a sympathy Harry knew to be false. "Still, one must make do with what one has. Still, I have to wonder what you will achieve, trying to smuggle me out of here."

"We're going to get you out of Agatha," Harry growled. "Or else we're going to lock you up so tight within her mind, you'll never be a threat again. Agatha's taken a risk, but I think she was right. We're taking her to the Baron, and he's going to scrub you out of Agatha's head."

Lucrezia chortled. "Really? You think that Klaus has the ability to get me out of my own daughter's head?"

"Apparently he's been studying your technology for years," Harry said, meeting the stolen eyes of his love with his own. "He could do it."

"If you can't do it, little boy, I doubt Klaus could," Lucrezia said.

Harry just laughed at her, bitterly and angrily. "You don't know who I am, Lucrezia Mongfish. Normally, I would be relieved that you don't, because I hated the fame I had back home. But I think I should tell you something. I'm Harry Potter. When I was one, I survived an instant-death curse thanks to my mother. When I was eleven, I managed to survive another encounter with the warlock who wanted me dead. When I was twelve, I killed a massive snake that could kill just by eye contact with a sword. I've spent years going from one adventure to another, and I survived, sometimes barely, sometimes with ease, but I survived. And you remind me a lot of my own nemesis. Guess what? He was afraid of death too."

Lucrezia's eyes widened, and she snarled, "I am NOT afraid of death!"

"Oh? Then why the hell are you wearing your daughter's body like a dress? Using her like no mother should?" Harry sneered. "You are afraid of death, and you should be. Because I'm going to make sure the Baron wipes you from Agatha's head. All that will be left of you is whatever passes for the mental equivalent of a bad taste in the mouth, you heartless bitch."

Lucrezia merely sneered back, cackling. "Bold words, but nothing to back them up."

"I've had enough, she's worse than _my_ mother," Sirius muttered, before casting a Sleep charm at Lucrezia, who fell asleep, and began snoring softly. A Silencing charm helped. "Okay, let's keep moving…"

* * *

Dumbledore's roar of anger would become a thing of legend to the servants of Sturmhalten Castle for years to come. True, they had had dealings with Sparks, but the wrath of a wizard was something new to them.

Anevka rolled her eyes, one of the few animate parts of her face. "Severus will be able to stop them, I believe you said?" she remarked snidely.

"Silence!" Dumbledore snapped, as he looked at an unconscious Severus manacled upside down, naked save for a grotty pair of underpants, trying to revive him.

"No, you be silent. I have an idea, and I can't think about it with all your screaming," Anevka retorted. After a few seconds of tense silence, she said, "I'll send some of the servants after him. You can send your little hound after them if you can revive him. I'm guessing they left him there because they were pressed for time, especially with Lucrezia within the girl's head. Tarvek is either their hostage, or he's helping them willingly, because he would have caught them by now. That just means he's expendable."

"And is that your idea?" Dumbledore growled. "Sending people after them? Anyone could have thought of that!"

"No, my idea is something else. As you know, I have been trying to get my vocoder to mimic the tones of Lucrezia Mongfish so that I can control the Revenants and the Geisterdamen. Now, you showed us that Pensieve thing when you were showing us Harry in your memories. Do you think you can get it to play back Lucrezia's voice to my instruments?"

Anevka watched as Dumbledore, struck by the question, began to nod. "I suppose it's possible."

"Good. I will send people after them. I'll see if I can contact any of the Smoke Knights we have here. Then, we will do this so that we have the full obedience of the Revenants. However, we will have to ensure that Vrin and my late, unlamented father are good as scapegoats. And using the Geisterdamen will be too risky once we use Vrin as a scapegoat. The Baron is sure to send a Questor once news of my father's death leaks out. Unless…" Her eyes widened, and she whirled to face Dumbledore. "You said that the Patronus can be used to send messages, didn't you?!"

"Yes, my dear girl, what of it?"

"And Harry… _can he use a Patronus?!_ "

Dumbledore paled, but didn't answer. Then again, his silence was damning enough.

"And more to the point," Anevka hissed, " _can those wards of yours block a Patronus?_ "

Dumbledore paled even further. "They can't have possibly thought of that. He's too stupid, too dull…"

"I'm thinking the same thing of you," Anevka sneered. "I have to wonder what magic or whatever it is does to your brain."

Dumbledore snarled, before trying to revive Snape once more. " _Ennervate_ , damn you, ENNERVATE!"

What Dumbledore didn't realise until later was that he had become so dependent on the Elder Wand, using magic with his old wand had gone awry. His wand movements had gotten lazy, assisted by the Elder Wand. That, plus the sheer strength of the spell Harry, in an adrenaline-fuelled bit of casting, had cast had effectively put Snape into a coma. So Dumbledore was going to be a while waking Snape…

* * *

Unbeknownst to them, Vrin had already made a start on things herself. She had woken to find Eotain shaking her, Shurdlu slumped in a chair, conscious, but clutching a broken arm, one of her legs suggesting it was broken too, given the grotesque angle. Makeshift splints had been used.

Vrin finished explaining what had happened to Eotain and Shurdlu. " _What this means is that Our Lady has descended at long last, but the apostates have snatched her away. We need to communicate with our sisters in the Deepdown._ " She looked down at the charred body of Aaronev, and wrinkled her nose, albeit more at the smell than any true contempt towards him. Yes, he was a pitiful man, filled with delusions of grandeur, not worthy of Lucrezia's attention…but he was loyal, and he had brought their Lady back to them. That counted for quite a bit, and Vrin had a modicum of respect for him, despite herself.

" _What if they can't stop them, Lady Vrin?_ " Shurdlu asked, wincing in pain. Eotain had scurried away to get one of Snape's healing potions, and while they were working quickly, it was a painful process that would take a few more precious minutes.

" _Then we will have to go ourselves_ ," Vrin said. " _Doubtless the old goat and that treacherous doll will be pursuing them. We need to get them to lower the bridge and allow us to cross the moat, so that we can enter the sewers from the town, and trap them. I'll be taking our special Slaver Wasp too. We can either make the boy our slave, or a shambling abomination. I don't care which…_ "

* * *

"How far do the wards extend?" Harry asked as he, Sirius, and Tarvek jogged down damp and filthy passages, a bound Agatha floating behind.

"To just beyond the castle walls," Tarvek said. "Why?"

"Do you think we're far enough beyond them?"

"Maybe. I haven't really been down here."

"Blind Apparition isn't something to be taken lightly, Harry," Sirius said. "We don't know where we need to go! You could end up Splinched or halfway through a wall." Then, a thought occurred to him, and he turned to Tarvek, halting their flight. "Okay, what I'm going to do is going to feel weird. And before you ask, it's basically a form of mind-reading."

Tarvek, after a moment, said, "That's not reassuring."

"I know. I had to learn it in a hurry. I knew Occlumency, but my Legilimency is, admittedly, not that good. Moony's better at it. But if you can visualise Sturmhalten, the town itself, in relation to the castle…I might be able to get the image from your mind, and figure out a way to Apparate to the streets. Then we can think about a proper escape."

Tarvek, after a moment, nodded reluctantly. He began concentrating, and then Sirius nodded in his own turn. "Okay, I may just have gotten it. Let's go. Hold on…"

* * *

The Apparition was even more uncomfortable than usual, which was an achievement in of itself. They had ended up on the very edge of the electric moat that surrounded Sturmhalten Castle. Harry, who had been holding onto Agatha, suddenly lurched downwards as the levitation spell on her, which Sirius had put on her, suddenly cut out. The unconscious Spark fell, dragging Harry down with her. But before the pair of them could topple over into the electric moat, a blur of black and yellow barged past Sirius and Tarvek with a roar, and grabbed onto their clothes, pulling them back from the brink.

Harry found himself face to face with what had to be the most terrifying person to ever save his life. But then again, it wasn't that he was ungrateful. To the contrary, he was very grateful indeed for this intervention. He was just worried about what it meant for later.

"I think the term 'nick of time' applies here," growled Von Pinn, her teeth bared in something that was part smile, part satisfied snarl. "Now, let's see if we can get you out of the trouble you got yourselves into…"

 **CHAPTER 16 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Well…shit. Von Pinn has rescued Harry and Agatha. But is this a good thing? And yes, she was the person who came across the Circus earlier in the chapter, so the others are in Sturmhalten. Now it's a race against time to see if they can escape Sturmhalten, or else wait out the Baron's arrival.**

 **Review-answering time! Regarding Harry's not killing them, frankly, he'd love nothing more than to torture them, but he's pressed for time, and is more concerned about escape. Plus, this Harry is yet to actually kill someone in cold blood.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	18. Chapter 17: Confrontations

**CHAPTER 17:**

 **CONFRONTATIONS**

"Von Pinn?!" Tarvek hissed in fright. "How the…?"

"Hush, little Sturmvoraus," Von Pinn said as she picked Agatha up and placed her over her shoulder. "And yes, I remember you. Come. We need to find a means of getting away from Sturmhalten quickly."

She led them to where Punch and Judy, along with Hermione and the other wizards, were waiting nearby. "We need to find somewhere to rendezvous with the Baron," Harry panted as they ran alongside the leather-clad Construct. "Did you hear the Patronus, Von Pinn?"

"Yes. I had arrived shortly before your Patronus arrived, trying to assess the situation," she said.

"Then where do we head to next? I mean, to contact the Baron?" Harry asked. "We told him about the situation here in Sturmhalten, but I don't know how long it'll take for him to get here."

Von Pinn's smile became vicious, filled with shark-like teeth. "His faster airships can cover great distances in a short time. Castle Wulfenbach may not be here for days, but the others…might get here in hours. If you're lucky, he's nearly here."

As if on cue, there was a distant roar of engines in the sky overhead, from the clouds, and Harry looked up, only to see a number of rather martial-looking airships swooping down from the skies, from the clouds. Tarvek looked up as well, and cursed. "He's treating this like a Slaver Wasp quarantining!" he snarled.

"Given The Other's presence, is it that surprising?!" Sirius snapped.

There was a shout in Geisterspeak, and they whirled to find Vrin and another Geisterdamen crossing a drawbridge from the castle, leading a number of the Sturmvoraus' soldiers and servants. "Get them!" Vrin yelled in English. "Capture the blonde girl, kill the rest!"

And suddenly, many of the townsfolk began turning on them. Instantly, the wizards began throwing whatever spells they could, while Punch flicked rivets at them. Von Pinn was considerably more brutal, using vicious kicks that doubtlessly broke bones.

"We need to get out of the town!" Judy yelled as she felled a baker wielding a knife, while Krosp leapt onto a tailor and scratched the man's face with a yowl. "Can't you use Apparition?"

"You need to concentrate to use it!" Remus snapped, understandably irritable given the circumstances. "Fighting for your life does complicate things somewhat!"

"Less shouting, more fighting!" Hermione, rather ironically, shouted…

* * *

Dumbledore halted when they got beyond the warding boundary, where they were underground. If Tarvek had allied himself with them, he might be able to tell where the wards ended, roughly, so they may have tried to Apparate. So he took his wand out and began checking.

Snape, rather groggily, looked on. "And what is he doing?" Anevka asked snootily.

Dumbledore began cursing. "They _knew!_ They managed to Apparate once they were beyond the wards! Severus, with me!"

"And what should I do?" Anevka demanded.

"I doubt you're able to pursue them at any kind of speed," Dumbledore said. "Just go back and deal with Vrin and her abominable allies." With that, he and Snape disappeared with a _crack!_ And Anevka was left to fume.

They may have helped her with her ambitions, true, but now, she felt they had gotten rather too big for their britches. Just like Tarvek, if their suspicions of him helping these fools was correct. She was now the ruler of Sturmhalten, and thus the heiress to the Storm King.

And maybe, she might be able to salvage something from this mess, and become the ruler of Europe…

* * *

They managed to escape the city, despite the attempts by the guards to stop them, with Vrin and her own entourage in hot pursuit. Agatha was still unconscious, or at least seemed that way. But they ran out into what looked like most of the Wulfenbach army (though in reality, it was only a small part of it), pointing rifles at them. And as it happened, Klaus and Bangladesh were at the head of it.

"Halt!" barked one soldier.

"Piss off!" Harry yelled, indicating Vrin and her followers. "Get _them_ to halt!"

The soldiers, some of them, aimed their guns at Vrin and her squad. Vrin skidded to a halt, barking a command for the servants to halt. "Damn you…" she snarled, though whether at Harry or Klaus or someone else, she didn't know. "How did you get a message out?"

"A wizard did it. Namely, me," Harry sneered.

Vrin sneered back, before she looked at Klaus. "Do you think you've brought enough soldiers, Baron Wulfenbach?"

"Perhaps not. Not yet. But you are outnumbered. I have brought more than enough soldiers to deal with the population of this town. And I will endeavour a way to cure them from what you and your _mistress_ inflicted on them," Klaus said coldly, spitting the word 'mistress' as if it were a vile expletive.

" _Inflicted?_ It was a _gift_ ," Vrin retorted.

"Can I make her bleed yet?" Bangladesh DuPree asked, showing that mixture of irritation and anticipation that came when boredom and excitement clashed. "I'm getting bored with all the pillow talk."

"If she makes any aggressive moves, feel free to do so," Klaus said, before he approached Punch and Judy, who were protectively staying close to Von Pinn, or rather, her burden. "Punch…Judy…" he said, rather sadly. "I'm sorry our reunion came about this way. I promise you, I will do everything to erase her mother from her mind without harming her. No matter what Barry has said about me…I will try everything before I resort to...what may be necessary."

Punch and Judy looked at each other, before Judy said, "I will hold you to that, Klaus. But you know, once we have dealt with Lucrezia, we will be taking her to Mechanicsburg."

"That still remains to be seen," Klaus said. "Especially if we can't get rid of Lucrezia. Do you want her in charge of Castle Heterodyne? Of the Jägers? I need to be _sure_ , Judy. For Barry's sake, and my own."

"She demanded I send the message," Harry said quietly. "She knew what it might entail. But she'd rather that than have to deal with that crazy bitch of a mother of hers in her head."

"Speak not of Our Lady in such a manner, heathen!" Vrin shrieked, before a Stunner from Harry sent her falling over.

"Stunners, the go-to spell for winning most arguments," Harry remarked snidely.

Klaus, however, had suddenly noticed someone. "You?!" he yelped. He then barked, " _D'Jorok'ku Skifandias von?!_ "

Zeetha, who this had been directed at, nodded. "Father," she said.

"Were you sent here to…?" Klaus demanded, only for an almighty _crack!_ to sound nearby. Dumbledore and Snape had appeared, both somewhat bemused by the large mob they found themselves sandwiched between. They realised that they were in a very dangerous situation, hopelessly outnumbered, and their anger gave way to anxiety.

Unfortunately, the remaining Geisterdamen snapped, in the silence that followed, "Attack the wizards and Wulfenbach's army! Protect Our Lady!"

Utter bedlam promptly erupted. Dumbledore and Snape promptly started attacking the Geisterdamen and their cronies, scattering them with Bombardas. However, they had to defend themselves from a fusillade of bullets from that side. Zeetha and Bangladesh swarmed into the fray, Zeetha once more clashing swords with a Geisterdamen.

Vrin had been thrown by the Bombarda's near Von Pinn, who had dropped Agatha on the ground to concentrate on defending her. Unseen to most, Agatha's eyes flickered open, and fixed on those of Vrin, who was regaining consciousness. Unheard by anyone else, they hissed urgently at each other, before Vrin fished a small orb of metal with complicated mechanisms built in from her robes.

Harry, however, happened to look down as the exchange occurred. And he managed to hear Agatha's voice screaming at him. Lucrezia was still in control. Lucrezia then began clambering to her feet, and running out from the others. "Help me!" she screamed, running towards the Baron.

"Restrain her, that's Lucrezia!" Harry yelled, before firing off a Stunner which the blonde Spark dodged…only for her hand to be hit. With a yelp of pain, she flung the device she held in that hand into the air…and Harry caught it as easily as he did the Snitch, only to find a surprisingly strong arm clad in a familiar garish outfit snaking around his neck and holding him close.

"You have caused me enough trouble already, Mr Potter," hissed Dumbledore. "For the Greater Good, die like the martyr you should have been!"

But before Dumbledore could cast whatever spell he intended to kill Harry with, Harry, in desperation, used the device he had caught to smash Dumbledore in the face, buy him some time, some breathing space, anything. He didn't expect the thing to click open, and Dumbledore to suddenly emit a choking noise. Or Lucrezia, in Agatha's body, to scream "NOOOO!"

The battle all but stopped, as Harry freed himself from Dumbledore's grip, the old man seemingly choking to death on something. He looked down at the device in his hand, and saw that it was open. Vrin snarled, "You imbecile, you wasted a Slaver Wasp on a useless, treacherous old man, and a Slaver Wasp meant for Sparks!"

Harry merely shot her a glare, before he pointed his wand at Dumbledore as the old man choked, his eyes pleading with Harry. He really should have done this long ago. " _Reducto_ ," he said coldly, and the old man's head was pulped, exploding in a burst of blood and brain and bone.

 _Besides, if he had a Slaver Wasp in him, it was a mercy_ , Harry thought. _One he arguably didn't deserve, but I can't risk Lucrezia being able to control him. And if he didn't…well, I put him out of_ _ **my**_ _misery_.

Suddenly, Snape lunged forward, and fired off a Bombarda at the Baron, who was flung into the air, and crashed to the ground in a tangle of broken limbs. Von Pinn promptly tore the man's wand arm off, but even as he howled in pain, he clung to Vrin, and vanished with the whipcrack noise of Apparition…

* * *

Snape reappeared in the chapel, holding onto Vrin, before he snarled in agony, and began quickly working on his arm, stopping the bleeding with a spell. "Fuck! FUCK! FUCK YOU, POTTER!"

Vrin looked around, before she said, "Why have we come back here?"

"Firstly, we burn this place, ensure that the Baron find as little as possible," Snape snarled. "Secondly, we get the hell out of here. We'll need to make contact with Sturmvoraus' relatives and co-conspirators in their little _coup d'etat_. I managed to injure if not kill the Baron, they can use that as their chance to put whatever plan they have in place into action. And then, maybe, we make our way to Mechanicsburg, and to Castle Heterodyne."

Vrin, after a moment, nodded. "You want to wait for Potter to arrive there. Because he's smitten with the Holy Child, and will try to elevate her to her rightful seat."

"Yes. I don't care about Dumbledore. I'm now free of both my masters…but _I want him_ _ **dead**_. As for Anevka…we'll let that clockwork bitch take the fall…"

* * *

"You stupid **_bastard!_** " Lucrezia ranted at Harry from where she was being held back by Punch, a number of weapons trained on her from both the Wulfenbach army, and Agatha's friends and allies. "You had the greatest achievement I and my followers had ever created it, and you **_wasted_** it!"

Harry stormed up to Lucrezia. "And what, you wanted to control Baron Wulfenbach with it? Control the Empire? Or just cause chaos?"

"Harry, we need to get the Baron to a hospital," Hermione said, kneeling down next to the man. "We don't have enough ingredients for healing potions anymore, and spells can only do so much."

Bangladesh, who had been standing guard over the prone body of her commander, scowled. "Man, I hate this crap. I think the nearest hospital we can trust is in Mechanicsburg. He might not last long enough to get to Castle Wulfenbach. Okay, medics, help me get the Baron onto transport. You lot, come with me, and no funny business. Oh, and what are we gonna do with Little Miss Mind Control there?"

"You're not killing her," Judy said, glaring at the Indian pirate queen, as Klaus was carefully put onto a stretcher, before shifting her attention back to Lucrezia. "Harry…do you still have the locket?"

Harry blinked, before fishing out the mangled trilobite locket. "This one?"

"Yes. You can use a Repairing Charm on it, I believe, from what your friends told me. Barry created that to suppress the Spark in Agatha…but while that won't work now, from what Barry told me about the mechanisms…it may work in suppressing Lucrezia for now."

Harry, as he used a Repairing Charm, heard Lucrezia, with a hint of fear in her voice, say, "No…there's no way Barry could have anticipated this…I won't…I won't let you!"

Harry took the locket, and brought it over to Lucrezia, and said, "I hope this works."

"If not," Von Pinn growled, "I get to try scaring her away. You were always a coward, Lucrezia."

Harry placed the locket around Lucrezia's neck. Something indefinable was in her face. Not quite anger or hatred. Perhaps a wistful sadness. "Even if this works," she said quietly, "Klaus won't let this go. I know him too well. You'll _lose_ her, Harry Potter."

"I'm done losing people I care about," Harry said, as he clicked the locket shut, activating it. "If she has to wear this for the rest of her life, then so be it."

Lucrezia gave a soft cackle, before she flinched, convulsing and crying out…before she straightened. No, **_Agatha_** straightened, he could tell. Green eyes met green eyes, and then, as Punch gently let her go, she lunged forward and kissed Harry. A kiss of gratitude, and catharsis, a need to just feel that she was alive. And Harry, not caring that they were in public or that Zeetha and Sirius were whooping and hollering, returned it…

 **CHAPTER 17 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, I'm of two minds here, and not in the same way Agatha is, what with her mother in her head. After this is maybe one or two chapters until the next story arc begins, but I could easily end the fic here, and use the sequel for the next story arc, or continue, and make this a longer story. I dunno, so, any thoughts or opinions?**

 **Also, I'm sure that a few of you will be satisfied with Dumbledore finally coming to an ignominious end, and a lot more will be irritated that Snape got away, along with Vrin. I was going to use the Slaver Wasp on either Dumbledore or Snape, that had been more or less planned for a while. Snape, though…I wanted to have one of the Potterverse characters as a recurring foe, at least for the Mechanicsburg saga.**

 **And before you say, 'ooh, they should have killed him when they had the chance', keep in mind that Dumbledore is Harry's first actual kill, and once he realises that, he's going to be in a bit of a dark place. He's going to feel guilt, not at killing the man who tormented him, but at the fact that he didn't really feel much when he killed someone. Also, Terry Nation managed to keep Travis from** ** _Blake's 7_** **alive, despite the fact that Blake and his crew really should have killed them, so if it's good enough for the creator of the Daleks, it's good enough for me. Finally, we have a Snape who is free of both Voldemort and Dumbledore: he's working with Vrin voluntarily. He's Travis, she's Servalan, and he wants revenge against Harry, if only out of sheer spite and hatred towards James Potter.**

 **Anyway, the next chapter will be the aftermath of this SNAFU, including Tarvek confronting his sister with the truth about her existence.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	19. Chapter 18: Aftermath

**CHAPTER 18:**

 **AFTERMATH**

The Wulfenbach soldiers had managed to corner Anevka as she was about to make her escape. Tarvek, who was being escorted by a group of other soldiers, had warned them about her electrocution abilities, and they had confined her to her room. Tarvek sighed softly to himself as he entered said room, Anevka glaring at him, her servants, thankfully, not in attendance, so she couldn't move far from the life support vat containing her body. "You…you betrayed us," she hissed.

"Self-preservation, Anevka," Tarvek said sadly. "I admit, I hate the Baron…but those wizards, the Geisterdamen, The Other…I made a choice. Hopefully, I can live with it. Anevka…Voluntary Disengage."

The backdoor command caused Anevka's Clank body to freeze. "What is this?!" she yelped.

"I'm sorry, Anevka," Tarvek said. "In constructing your body…I made sure it could obey my commands. I never really needed to utilise that until now. I came here because…I have a confession to make. I told the wizards and Wulfenbach's forces before coming here. A detachment's come to find Tinka, repair her, and eventually send her back to that travelling Heterodyne Show Father took her from. As for you…"

Anevka peered at Tarvek with her eyes, fear entering her voice. "…Are you going to kill me, Tarvek?"

"No…I'm not. Then again…my sister is already dead. She has been for a long time."

After a brief pause to, understandably, digest this bombshell, Anevka screamed, "What?!"

Tarvek walked over to the vat, and disconnected the cables, one by one. "I really am sorry, Anevka. Funny, how I still call you that, after I told you that. But…in your own way, you brought me comfort. You did to Father to, even though he was the one to put my sister through that abominable process in the first place." He finished disconnecting the cables, noting the life support system, the secret readout (secret to all but Tarvek, anyway), indicating that the body within was dead.

Anevka was quiet. Too quiet. Eventually, she said, her voice less of her scheming, Machiavellian side, and more of a young woman, lost and alone, realising something very disturbing about herself. "Tarvek…what am I?"

"…A very good first try," Tarvek said, walking around to Anevka's front, and placing a hand on a metallic cheek. "Father put Anevka, the original, into that Summoning Engine, and she ended up dying. Oh, far more slowly than the others, and Father was filled with grief and remorse…" Tarvek's face screwed up into an expression of distaste. "Too little, too late. He went to pieces, so, while Anevka was on life support, dying…I created you, based on the Muse Tinka, as you well know. Originally, you were little more than a puppet, with my sister pulling the strings from within that vat…but you learned from her. As she diminished and faded away, you became something more. You didn't even notice when she died."

If Anevka, or rather, her Clank could have cried, Tarvek knew she would have. In a voice more like a lost child's than a teenaged girl's, she sobbed, "No…you're trying to trick me…I'm not dead…I'm _not_ …"

"I just removed your cables," Tarvek said. He gently turned the Clank around, the automatic systems causing the body to step around, and look at the vat…and the disconnected cables. "There are no strings on you. I could shut you down if I wanted…but I think that'll be harder than I want it to be. Anevka…neither of us had any real love for Father's plans. And with the Baron's men sweeping the town for the asymptomatic Revenants…your plan to control them will be for nothing. What's more, with my cooperating with the Baron, the rest of our family will be coming after us both. They'll probably just kill me, but you…they'll take apart to see how you work. You were based on a Muse, after all. I think we'll need to make ourselves scarce from Sturmhalten for now."

Anevka, latching onto anything to distract her from her existential crisis, asked, "And where do we go?"

"We go with Agatha and the others to Mechanicsburg. Lucrezia's personality has been suppressed for now, by one of Barry Heterodyne's devices. I wish I got to examine it myself. The Baron was injured by Snape. And as much as I detest playing nice with him…helping him out might have him owe us. The same with Agatha. And Violetta's there, she can help us. She's the only one I truly trust out of the Smoke Knights. Plus…while they were discussing what to do next, they mentioned that the Baron's son was Gilgamesh. And when I asked…he matches the description of Gilgamesh bloody Holzfäller!"

Despite her existential crisis, Anevka actually chuckled. A little forced, true, but she was laughing, to Tarvek's relief. "That idiot is the Baron's heir? No wonder you got kicked off Castle Wulfenbach!"

"Oh, there's more. There's a girl claiming to be from Skifander, and apparently the Baron recognised her…"

* * *

As the medics bustled around the prone form of the Baron, Zeetha looked on. This was her father? Then again, the blast had been enough not just to injure the Baron, but many around him. Agatha, or at least her body, had been lucky enough to be out of the way at the time. He was lucky not to be blown apart.

Still, she sat by her side, while the others were off elsewhere. Tarvek had been helping the Baron's people deal with Sturmhalten, and would be brought along shortly, but the others were coming to Mechanicsburg right now.

With a groan of pain, the Baron's eyes flickered open, and then focused on Zeetha. Behind his oxygen mask, he rasped, in her native tongue, " _You…you called me father._ "

Zeetha nodded. " _Yes. Yes I did, Chump. I didn't know it when I left Skifander. The wizards…they had this test for heritage. And when I found out…look, I'm not here for my brother's life, and to hell with our traditions. I'd rather get to know him…and you. I was originally here to be an ambassador for Skifander, and to report what Europe was like to the Queen._ " She gently stroked his cheek. " _She misses you._ "

Klaus smiled, albeit somewhat painfully, but relieved. " _Thank you._ " Then, no longer in Skiff, he asked, "Where are we going?"

"Mechanicsburg. It's the nearest major hospital you can trust, and the wizards are out of healing potions," Zeetha said. "Tarvek is helping your people clean up Sturmhalten, but Snape and Vrin got away."

"And Agatha…is she still…?"

"Under Lucrezia's control?" Zeetha asked. "No. Judy guessed that that locket, the one Barry made for her…it suppressed Agatha's Spark, so she hoped it might help her resist Lucrezia. The moment she put it on, Lucrezia was suppressed. But it means Agatha needs to keep that locket on."

Klaus nodded, as much as he could with his injuries. "I want to see it for myself…and I want, once I am well enough, to subject her to what I need to do to remove Lucrezia from her. Damnation, this is a mess. With me in this state, the sharks will smell blood in the water. And doubtless Doctor Sun will keep me confined to bed."

"Can he?" Zeetha asked.

"Few people can. Doctor Sun is one of them." He emitted a soft, wistful sigh. "Has DuPree contacted my son yet?"

"From what I've heard, yes. Apparently he and his butler are coming. Boris has apparently been left in charge. Don't worry."

Klaus smiled painfully once more. "Boris in charge? Good. But…I need to recover as soon as possible. The Empire without me, while not rudderless, is not far from it…and assassins and plotters are already skulking from the shadows. And they may come for Agatha too."

"She is my _Zumil_ ," Zeetha said. "You know what that means."

"Ah, your apprentice," Klaus said. "Poor girl…"

* * *

Harry was sitting on the bridge of the airship. Not quite by himself, but rather, with only Agatha next to him. He'd asked the others to give him some space for now. Von Pinn was keeping a close eye on them, true, but she did so from a healthy distance away, as did Punch and Judy. One of the crewmembers of the airship, who had blonde hair and long muttonchops framing a somewhat staid, relaxed expression, was working away nearby.

"That was the first time I killed someone," Harry said quietly. "I should feel elated, because I won't feel guilty about killing someone who wanted me dead, but…I just feel empty, Agatha."

Agatha didn't say anything, instead rubbing Harry's back. However, the crewmember remarked, in a deceptively lazy drawl, "Feeling elation at the death of an enemy may not be wholly wrong, but feeling elation at death in general is. Take it from someone who knows from experience. Death is too frequently dealt out, but it is so final and irrevocable…well, unless you're a Spark dealing with fresh materials."

"…And who are you?" Agatha asked.

"Airman Third Class Axel Higgs," the man said. "You lot are the ones who kicked up one helluva Slaver Wasp's nest…well, Hive Engine. And you're the Heterodyne Girl who everyone's talking about. They're gonna be talking about you a lot, I reckon. And that's going to make a lot of idiots crawl out of the woodwork, many of them with designs on your body…alive or dead."

"Over my dead body," Harry growled.

"Oh, I have no doubt you're loyal to her, kid. That's good. But some of the people after her, not counting the Baron…they have armies and assassins of their own. And even with the likes of Punch and Judy, not to mention those other wand-wavers, protecting her…well, you can't fight them all. Not yet."

Agatha and Harry sat quietly, considering that information. Higgs wandered off, tipping his hat to Von Pinn, who showed a snarl at him briefly. The leather-clad construct decided to come closer to Agatha and Harry. So did Punch and Judy. " _Mine_ ," Von Pinn hissed at her fellow Constructs.

"Master Barry charged us with her safety," Judy rebuked.

"My creator did so as well." Von Pinn looked down at her glove-clad hands. "Van Rijn, along with the Storm King, Andronicus Valois."

"…So you _are_ Otilia," Judy said. "What the hell did Lucrezia do to you?"

"Pity, Judy?" Von Pinn asked, giving a vicious smirk filled with fangs. "While Lucrezia was many things, this body is certainly more than adequate, so I will give her that. I much prefer my old body, of course, if only for the sentimental value."

"Then why did the Storm King and Van Rijn charge you to keep Agatha safe? They lived a long time ago," Judy asked.

"I don't know. But I can guess. Van Rijn was known for his meddling with time, pursuing mirages," Von Pinn scoffed. "Maybe they saw a future where I was needed to keep your charge safe…although it's worth pointing out that that means 'safe for others'. After all, if Agatha is not watched…who knows what she might do? Even without that coward of a mother lurking within her skull, she has too much of Lucrezia in her. Already, chaos beckons in their future. Would you believe I once considered killing her and guarding her tomb? Alas, Lucrezia managed to get her to obey my every command, may that slattern's bones burn green, and with Agatha's voice close to that of her mother's…" Her eyes looked over to Harry and Agatha. "Still, perhaps this boy may prove to be a stabilising influence. On her, anyway."

"Great," Harry snarked, shooting Agatha a look. "You've got Mary Poppins as envisioned by Dr Frankenstein and given a bondage kink watching your back."

Agatha snorted in amusement, though she clearly didn't get the references. "How long until we get to Mechanicsburg?" she eventually asked.

"The best part of a day yet," Judy said. "Klaus may be stable for now, but he needs someone he trusts to heal him, and Doctor Sun is the closest physician he trusts. Castle Wulfenbach may be safer, true, but I've got to give DuPree credit, she realises that Mechanicsburg is where the action is going to be soon, with Klaus out of action and Agatha in play."

"So…are we going to Castle Heterodyne?" Agatha asked.

"Well, yes. But first, we need to touch base with Carson von Mekkhan and General Gkika, like Jenka said," Judy said.

"Judy…will they accept me?" Agatha asked.

"They will, in time. The Castle is another matter, due to its fragmented state…but it has means of telling who you are," Judy said. Then, she smiled warmly at Agatha. "You're going home, Agatha. You're going where you belong."

* * *

That night, as they continued travelling, Harry found himself unable to sleep. In his dreams, he found himself not killing Dumbledore, but Lucrezia, in Agatha's body…only, just as the _Reducto_ left his wand, he knew, for an instant, that Lucrezia relinquished control, and it was Agatha's features, her expression, that were pulped by the spell.

It wasn't quite guilt at Dumbledore's death that haunted him, he was sure. It was Harry's own ruthlessness, his lack of guilt at killing someone, that ate at him.

Which was why he found himself wandering the ship. He wasn't sure how he came to the infirmary, filled with both Klaus and a few of the soldiers injured at Sturmhalten. But he heard voices within. Klaus', and Agatha's. Not raised voices. Just…normal voices.

"…And then, she said, ' _I didn't poison you, you silly man. It was just a drug. After all, I'm now one of the good guys. Goodbye, darling._ ' And when I woke up, I was halfway through to what turned out to be Skifander."

"…So is that why Zeetha claims her father is called 'Chump'?"

"Lucrezia certainly showed that I was exactly that."

Harry pushed open the door, to find Klaus and Agatha there, Bangladesh also seated near the Baron, looking sleepy. Klaus and Agatha looked up, the former still looking like something the cat dragged in and pissed all over. "Harry?" Agatha asked. "Are you all right?"

"Can't sleep," Harry muttered, walking over to them. "I'm surprised both of you are still awake."

"I'm anxious about my empire, Harry Potter," Klaus said. "About the safety of those I rule. I don't rule for the sake of ruling, but to keep the people safe. In any case, I don't need to sleep as often. I know a certain technique from Skifander that minimises the need for sleep, a kind of meditation. And Agatha…she had nightmares…about her mother taking over again. To tell the truth…I think something truly changed for the worse in Lucrezia to turn her into The Other. I was telling Agatha about the last time I truly saw her mother."

The blonde, buxom Spark nodded. "And now, she's inside me. Kept inside by this locket. A gift from Uncle Barry…a gift that kept me safe…by keeping me stupid. It used to make me feel safe, but now, it just makes me feel angry, Baron. Because it was a symbol of how awful my life was, all the headaches, the suppression of my senses, all the inventions I tried that didn't work, and…it was all because of the damned locket!"

"But you don't feel the same effects anymore, do you?" Klaus asked.

"No. I do have to concentrate more to think, but my Spark has become too strong for it. I'm not sure what to feel…it kept me safe, kept me from going mad…and it's still doing so," she said.

"It's still protecting you, then," Harry said. "I was told it was my mother's love for me that protected me from Voldemort. That locket…that's your uncle's love protecting you from Lucrezia." He then embraced Agatha. "And I promise you, Agatha…as long as you live…I will protect you. Because you're worth fighting for."

As Agatha stared at him from behind her glasses, they heard Bangladesh mutter, "Oh for goodness' sake, just admit it, you two want each other." As they whirled to look at the Indian pirate queen turned Wulfenbach enforcer, she just smirked unrepentantly. "What? Just wait until we get to Mechanicsburg before you start tearing your clothes off. I know a good inn there, very discreet…"

As Agatha and Harry blushed, Klaus chuckled softly, though it degenerated into a series of coughs. "Ah…to be young and falling head over heels for each other…Harry Potter…I hope you are ready for the consequences of this."

"Maybe not…but it's not going to stop me," Harry said. "She took me in and helped me. I owe her that much. And as much as I don't want to help a dictator of an empire…you're at least reasonable."

"I try to be," Klaus said. "I only allowed Agatha in my presence because…I know she isn't her mother. And she's the last remaining link to my friends. Oh, I'm having people keep an eye on her…and I am not giving her free rein…but I will give her a chance. Incidentally, Potter…thank you for intercepting that Slaver Wasp. Lucrezia must have intended to use it on me. In doing that, you have probably saved not only my empire from Lucrezia…but Agatha from my wrath." A painful smile touched his lips. "I hope that you two can find happiness. Now, please…I want to be alone for now…"

* * *

As they made their way back to their assigned cabins, Agatha halted as they came to a porthole, and peered out across the moonlit landscape. Not that there was much to see. They could see lights from a distant town, not Mechanicsburg, twinkling in the distance. Eventually, Agatha asked, "Harry…do you like me?"

"…What sort of stupid question is that? You're caring, intelligent and beautiful. I mean, we're friends, right?"

"Yes, just…I'm not sure what we have, soul bond aside, is love yet. I mean, I think it's getting that way…but there's been so much stuff going on, and we've only truly known each other for some weeks." She chuckled a little in embarrassment. "Not that it stopped me from kissing you."

"Hey, I'm not complaining," Harry said with a smile, rubbing her back gently.

"Anyway…while you may think I'm worth fighting for…it doesn't mean I'll be sticking to the sidelines," Agatha said. "I'm no damsel in distress. I refuse to be. I want to make sure I can save myself, and others, and not just rely on you guys."

"Should I tell Zeetha to step up the training then?" Harry asked impishly, and was punched lightly in the arm for his facetiousness.

Agatha peered out at the dark landscape below, and then at her ghostly reflection. "I'm a Spark, Harry. My father and uncle were heroes…and the rest of the Heterodynes were feared. That's a hell of a legacy to live up to. But…the Baron told me something. Everyone in power in Europe will either want me dead or under their control. He admitted he would be in the latter category. But…I just want to be me. I only want to cause trouble for those who deserve it…like my mother, and those plotting with her. Snape, Vrin, whoever was working with Tarvek's father…though I don't intend to be under the Baron's thumb. I don't care what he says…once I'm ready…I'm heading into Castle Heterodyne and reclaiming my birthright."

"And I'll be there with you, Agatha," Harry said quietly. "We all will. I promise."

The two stood there for some time, looking out across the moonlit landscape, taking what comfort they could from each other's presence. Both famous and infamous due to circumstances beyond their control…and determined to wrest back control from fate. There were obstacles old and new to overcome…but they would face it together, with their friends and allies.

And Harry and Agatha intended to prevail, no matter what. The Girl Genius, and her Animagus…the beginning of a new legend for the Heterodyne line…

 **THE END**

 **CHAPTER 18 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, one story arc ends…and the next will come in the sequel. Klaus has had a little heart to heart with his daughter and his honorary niece, and Tarvek and Anevka are definitely working with the good guys…for now. Well, Tarvek will be working with them more permanently, but what of Anevka? Plus, a cameo from the Unstoppable Higgs!**

 **Doubtless a lot of people would have seen similar dialogue in scenes throughout the series, particularly the 'Naughty Flashback Scene' from Volume 4, as well as a few speeches from Volume 6.**

 **Anyway, after some consideration and a couple of reviews, I decided to end this story here, so I modified this chapter to give something of a sendoff. I will do a sequel one day, and I will post notification about that at the end of this story when I do. Unlike most of my sequels so far, I'll only post the sequel once I get enough chapters completed. At least 6-7 chapters first. Tentative title:** ** _Girl Genius' Animagus II: Struggle for the Castle_** **. Yeah, it's a crap title. I'm open to suggestions for once, but no guarantee that I will use them.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Lexarius** **: As you see above, it's not just Zeetha who the Baron has a lot of stories for. Unlike canon, where Klaus is wholly fixated on the idea of Agatha being The Other, here, he knows the truth, and while necessarily cautious about Agatha, he also views her as his last real link to his friends, so while they will clash at times, especially over Agatha regaining her ancestral seat, as well as how to get rid of Lucrezia from her head, they're also allies, and even, to a degree, honorary family. Klaus will still have Agatha killed if he views it necessary, but he would regret it too. This isn't so OOC for him, as his speech towards the end of Volume 6 shows (before Lucrezia in Agatha's body royally fucks things up for everyone). I'd like to think that, if some misunderstandings were cleared up earlier, Klaus would act like family to Agatha, in his own paranoid way.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


End file.
